German Company Heller Tools Violated Sanctions by Selling to Russians

Heller Tools declared more than $860,000 from the sales of the Moscow-based company Trading Tools Trading House, says The Financial Times.

Heller Tools sold tools to Russia 

In total, the amount of the concluded agreements with Russian companies reached $1.2 million.

According to the customs service, Heller’s exports to Tradetools ceased in June 2023. Trade Tools Trading House is associated with the Russian FSB smuggling operation Sernia, created to circumvent EU and US sanctions and obtain equipment for the Russian military industry.

Heller Tools also declared $300,000 from sales of Tirex last year. This company was founded in June, and its owner was a man who previously worked at Tradetools.

According to the publication, the tools sold by Heller Tools were not included in the export control lists until December 2023.

“If we become aware that companies are on sanctions lists or violate the requirements of the law, we will immediately terminate business relations or will not enter into business relations at all and will not supply any goods there,” Heller Tools said.

A businessman who supplied Russia with components for drones was tried in Germany

A court in Germany sentenced a businessman with dual German-Russian citizenship for selling electronics to Russian companies for military use in violation of sanctions.

The 59-year-old man delivered 120,000 parts that could be used for military purposes to Russia between January 2020 and May 2023. The impersonator tried to hide sales to Russian companies using documents for destinations such as Hong Kong and Turkey.

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Among them were parts used in the Orlan-10 drone, which the Russian military has use in the war in Ukraine.

The construction equipment supplier Dieseko Group BV, which illegally participated in the construction of the Crimean bridge, was fined almost €1.8 million ($1.96 million). In the period from 2015 to 2016, the company sold installations and related elements for the construction of the Crimean bridge and sent specialists to the facility to provide technical assistance.