A German company is accused of using postal loopholes to send banned goods to Russia, undermining EU sanctions, reports Axel Springer Global Reporters Network.
A German company has been accused of using postal loopholes to ship banned goods to Russia, reports Germany's Axel Springer Global Reporters Network.
Investigators tracked parcels from Berlin supermarkets through Poland and Belarus to Moscow, exposing a clandestine route that undermines European Union sanctions.
The network identified LS Logistics Solution GmbH, a Cologne-based firm run by former RusPost employees, as the operator of the scheme. Parcels were disguised with labels from Uzbekistan's postal service, UzPost, which is not authorized in Germany but maintains ties with Russia's postal system. Packages were collected at Berlin supermarkets and moved to a warehouse near Brandenburg airport before being trucked east.
Reporters sent five test parcels containing banned electronic components, falsely declared as books and clothing. Sales staff charged EUR13 per kilogram without issuing receipts. GPS trackers showed the parcels traveled more than 1,100 miles through Poland and Belarus before reaching Moscow and St Petersburg.
German regulators stated that UzPost is not permitted to operate in the country and are reviewing LS Logistics' activities. The company denied wrongdoing, asserting that its controls make violations 'virtually impossible,' but admitted it cannot prevent fraudulent declarations. Former RusPost chief Alexey Grigoryev was seen at the Berlin warehouse despite claims he had left the postal business.
The investigation highlights weaknesses in sanctions enforcement, which relies on risk-based checks of postal items. Ukrainian officials indicated they were aware of such schemes and share intelligence with partners. Germany recently strengthened its sanctions law, but experts warned that evasion remains widespread and costly to police.
