Lithuania imposes over €6.2 million in fines for sanctions violations in 2025

Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) imposed fines totalling more than €6.2 million on individuals for violations of international financial sanctions last year, the agency reported on Tuesday, citing its Money Laundering Prevention Board’s annual report.

According to the FNTT, sanctions are most frequently circumvented through the sale of transport vehicles, possibly dual-use goods and technologies, document falsification, and concealing the true origin of goods.

In 2025, the FNTT received 232 reports from financial institutions about potential sanctions evasion or circumvention. It conducted analyses on 77 of these cases, with some referred to other competent Lithuanian and EU institutions.

Fines were most commonly issued for the export of sanctioned transport vehicles to Belarus or Russia, the import or export of other goods to or from the EU, logistics and warehousing services, and the supply of euro banknotes to Belarusian legal entities or for use in Belarus.

In administrative proceedings, 27 decisions were made, resulting in fines exceeding €32,000—up from €28,000 in 2024. These cases primarily involved the use of services from EU-sanctioned banks.

The FNTT noted that economic operators involved in the supply chain often deliberately conceal the country of origin of goods to reduce scrutiny, avoid customs checks, or evade payment restrictions. Sanctioned vehicles are frequently sold via third countries, transported in maritime containers around Europe, or disguised as commercial shipments.

Methods for moving cars into Russia are continually refined to adapt to changing circumstances, the report said. Sanctions are also circumvented in attempts to sell dual-use goods and technologies, often by Lithuanian companies with prior trade experience in Russia or Belarus, or through intermediary firms established in countries that do not support EU, UK, or US sanctions policies.

These companies seek various ways to acquire the necessary equipment, the FNTT added.