The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is conducting a large-scale international investigation into violations of European Union sanctions against Russia.
The case, as reported by “Rzeczpospolita” via Do Rzeczy, concerns the illegal export of luxury cars from EU countries to Russia, despite a ban in effect since 2022. The ban, introduced by the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, covers exports of cars to Russia worth more than $50,000. According to OLAF, this investigation is one of the largest sanctions circumvention proceedings in the EU.
The investigation was initiated following reports from Polish customs authorities, who discovered suspicious exports of used vehicles from several member states. The vehicles were formally declared as destined for destinations including Turkey, but evidence gathered indicated their actual destination was Russia.
OLAF found that EU exporters and importers from third countries, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Moldova, were involved in the scheme. These countries allegedly acted as intermediaries to conceal the true destination of the exports.
A total of 766 luxury cars were identified that never reached their intended recipients. Each vehicle was tracked as part of the investigation, allowing the logistics chain to be reconstructed and their presence in Russia confirmed. As a result of these findings, criminal proceedings were initiated in three EU Member States, including Poland.
Earlier, Polish police in Lublin detained 20 people suspected of participating in an organized crime group involved in luxury car sales and tax fraud. According to investigators, the group used fictitious business entities to create multi-stage transaction chains, allowing them to both circumvent sanctions and obtain improper VAT refunds. Losses from this activity were estimated at approximately $10 million.
OLAF announced that the investigation covers activities conducted between 2021 and 2025 in Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, and Germany. The case is ongoing, and the office announced further actions to determine the full scale of the operation and any potential further violations of EU sanctions.
