Andrew Adams, head of DOJ's "KleptoCapture" task force, charged with enforcing the deluge of Russia sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, is targeting the personal assets of Vladimir Putin and his family, Adams told Bloomberg. Adams said this can be done by targeting individuals who have agreed to hold assets on his behalf.
Virgil Griffith, a U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 63 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to aid North Korea in evading U.S. sanctions via cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said. Griffith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
President Joe Biden this week extended the national emergency that authorizes certain sanctions against Russia under an executive order issued last year (see 2104150019). The emergency was extended for one year from April 15.
The U.K. added 206 entries to its Russia sanctions list, in an April 13 notice. The new additions include Russian oligarchs and businessmen, family members of sanctioned individuals and Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Russian member of the Ukrainian parliament. Members of the Donetsk and Luhansk parliaments are also included.
Japan imposed another wave of sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, according to a notice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The new restrictions apply to 398 individuals, 25 companies and Sberbank and Alfa-bank. The sanctioned Russian individuals include members of the State Duma, President Vladimir Putin's daughters and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's wife and daughter. The restrictions will take effect on May 12, the ministry said in an accompanying press release.
The EU announced exceptions to sanctions placed on Russia over its war in Ukraine and its recognition of the independence of that nation's Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Organizations acting as humanitarian partners of the EU are exempted from the ban on making funds available to designated individuals or entities, the European Council said April 13. Also, certain categories of humanitarian organizations won't be subject to export restrictions and bans on the provision of services under the Donetsk and Luhansk regime for their humanitarian work in the non-Russian-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen this week urged China to join other countries in standing up to Russia, saying Beijing risks alienating itself from the global economy if it continues to sit out the conflict. Although the U.S. hasn’t yet seen evidence that China is helping Russia evade U.S. sanctions or export controls, Beijing hasn’t condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine and could still hand Moscow an economic lifeline, which would be met with U.S. secondary sanctions and strong export restrictions (see 2203080053, 2203140009 and 2203140009).
The Bureau of Industry and Security added 10 more planes to its list of restricted aircraft, including planes owned by Aeroflot, Utair and Belavia, the first Belarusian airline added to the list. The agency also updated tail numbers for 32 planes and authorized two aircraft to leave Russia. The agency said it will impose penalties and/or jail time or revoke export privileges for any company or person that violates the Export Administration Regulations by providing “any form of service” to the listed aircraft without a required BIS license.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has greatly accelerated U.S. and EU collaboration on export controls, officials said, even surpassing some of the short-term goals of the Trade and Technology Council formed last year. Because of the highly coordinated controls, officials from both sides speak frequently and are able to discuss a range of shared export control issues, the officials said, including enforcement, licensing and the future of multilateral regimes.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control on April 11 sanctioned seven people and four entities for their involvement with the Kinahan Organized Crime Group, which operates in Ireland and "is established" in the U.K., Spain and the United Arab Emirates, OFAC said. "The Kinahan Organized Crime Group smuggles deadly narcotics, including cocaine, to Europe, and is a threat to the entire licit economy through its role in international money laundering," Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said. The action was the "result of close collaboration" between U.S. officials, Ireland’s national police force, the U.K.'s National Crime Agency and the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation.