This news item summarises OLAF’s operational work between 1 July and 30 September 2024 in reverse chronological order. It follows the reports on operations supported by OLAF in → eucrim 1/2024, 17-18.

• 24 September 2024: Experts from G7 countries and OLAF investigators discuss the latest developments in the fight against the circumvention of sanctions and export controls that restrict Russia’s access to technologies and other materials required to sustain its military operations. The group updated and published a guidance paper for industry that aims to assist industry in identifying Russian evasion practices and complying with controls carried out by a global export coalition. The guidance paper contains a list of items which pose a heightened risk of being diverted to Russia, updated red flag indicators of potential export control and/or sanctions evasion, best practices for industry to address these red flags, and screening tools and resources to assist with due diligence.
• 12 August 2024: A joint operation led by OLAF, the Spanish National Police, the Spanish Tax Agency Customs Surveillance and the Italian Guardia di Finanza leads to the seizure of over 900,000 counterfeit razor blades of a well-know brand. A criminal network imported the counterfeit products from Chinese suppliers and distributed them to wholesalers in Spain and Italy who sold the goods as genuine products of the brand. OLAF supported the operation inter alia by tracking the suspicious shipments, identifying the recipient companies across the EU, informing the involved countries, and coordinating the investigations related to the case.
• 1 August 2024: OLAF informs about the preliminary results of customs operations against counterfeit products related to the EURO 2024 Football Championship in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris. Concerted actions led by OLAF, the French customs and the German Customs Investigation Office (ZKA) have already led to over 630,000 items seized, including sportswear, sports shoes, toys, and sporting equipment. As a result, not only illegitimate businesses but also dangers to the citizens’ health and safety could be avoided.
• 17 July 2024: An OLAF investigation leads to the successful dismantlement of a criminal network that established a large-scale smuggling scheme with counterfeit premium vodka and whisky. Almost 400,000 bottles with an estimated value of €14 million were seized. OLAF acted as the main coordination point for exchange of information among various EU and non-EU authorities, collected, analysed and disseminated critical operational intelligence related to the smuggling network, and provided specialised knowledge and technical assistance.
• 4 July 2024: OLAF supports “Operation Dashboard”. The Operation targeted a criminal network that imported scrap vehicles from the United Kingdom to Spain by circumventing the EU rules on hazardous waste. The criminal activities also involved Germany and France. The operation, executed by the Spanish Guardia Civil, led to seven detainees and five individuals under investigation for charges that include alleged crimes against natural resources and the environment, falsification of certificates, money laundering, tax fraud, and membership in a criminal group. It is estimated that over 600,000 kilo of scrap has been illegally imported into the EU since January 2021. OLAF joined the dots and brought the national law enforcement authorities of the involved countries together.