Intelligence expects a record number of reports on attempts to circumvent sanctions 0 7

He stated that the overall number of reports of suspicious transactions received by the FID ranges from approximately 5,000 to 6,500 per year. At the same time, the number of reports of sanctions violations is increasing annually, and over 500 such reports have already been received in the first nine months of this year.

"By the end of the year, there will definitely be more than 600. This is more than 10% of the total number of reports of suspicious transactions, and this is a high proportion," noted Platicis.

He explained that more than half of the reports concern accounts in credit institutions that are subject to sanctions, primarily in Russian banks. 25% of the reports are related to the provision of prohibited services to Russian companies, while 15% involve the export of sanctioned goods to Russia, Belarus, or third countries. Moreover, it often concerns not goods of Latvian origin, but re-exports through Latvia and its land border.

"A positive aspect is that throughout the years of the war, we do not see an increase in reports of the export of dual-use goods or military products to Russia and Belarus, nor reports of transactions involving very large sums. There are isolated cases, but the overwhelming majority are related to other types of goods and services," emphasized the head of the FID.

He added that the FID has also changed its strategy: while at the beginning of the war, almost every signal of a possible sanctions violation was a priority, now special attention is paid to cases where there are suspicions of supporting the Russian military complex or related to dual-use goods.

In response to a question about the reasons for sanctions violations, Platicis acknowledged that there are still cases related to ignorance—especially concerning accounts in Russian banks that are under sanctions.

"But when it comes to more large-scale schemes, they are no longer carried out out of ignorance today. Not even in isolated cases. All necessary information about compliance with sanctions in Latvia is available. I believe that companies engaged in exports are well-informed about the main aspects and know where to turn in case of questions. Therefore, I would say that cases of ignorance still occur, but all major attempts to circumvent sanctions are made absolutely consciously," noted Platicis.

He also emphasized that sanctions are closely monitored in both Russia and Belarus. Therefore, immediately after the approval of new sanction packages and the introduction of new categories of restrictions, these countries immediately seek ways to circumvent them.