Finnish company and individual charged over illegal truck exports to Russia

A Finnish company and one of its representatives face prosecution for allegedly exporting 135 trucks and 29 trailers to Russia in violation of EU sanctions between 2022 and 2023, prosecutors announced Wednesday.

The case, investigated by Finnish Customs and now referred for trial, centers on shipments falsely declared as destined for companies registered in Turkey and Kazakhstan, according to a statement from the Prosecution Service. The vehicles, worth nearly €18 million, were instead delivered to Russia—bypassing sanctions that permit transit but prohibit final delivery to Russian entities.

Prosecutors allege the exports were part of a deliberate scheme to circumvent restrictions, concealing the true Russian buyers and generating an estimated €600,000 in illicit profits. While two company employees were initially suspected of aggravated sanctions violations during the preliminary investigation, no charges were filed against them.