A Russian entrepreneur living in Austria is accused of evading US sanctions against Russia. He is said to have exported microelectronics via Hong Kong. Sergej M. officially works in transport consultancy and beauty consultancy in Vienna. The US has imposed sanctions on the entrepreneur.
The sanctions against M. are formally linked to the similarly sanctioned Hong Kong company IPM Limited, which, according to a statement from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), based in the US Treasury Department, sent “hundreds of shipments of microelectronics” to the technology company Uniservice, which in turn was sanctioned by the US, delivered in St. Petersburg. It was also said that machine tool components were being transported to Russia. IPM’s director is Sergei M., a Russian citizen living in Austria who is now listed for his current or former role at the Hong Kong company.
Company offered assistance with logistical questions
Before the website went offline on Thursday, IPM provided support for logistics issues around the world with “its headquarters in Hong Kong and additional offices in Austria and Russia.” There was also explicit talk about the company helping to complete customs clearances without the risk of sanctions and seizures.
In Austria, the company from the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, now approved by the US, was the majority shareholder of SAM Transport & Beautyconsulting GmbH until March 2023. These shares were subsequently transferred from IPM Limited to the minority shareholder and managing director Sergej M.
Business boomed in 2022
According to the company register, the company, located in a nondescript apartment building in Vienna’s 8th district, is engaged in both transport advice and beauty advice. However, on an official website they position themselves exclusively as a wholesaler of Korean cosmetics. After fairly quiet years since the company was founded in 2018, published annual balance sheets show a huge intensification of the Viennese company’s business activities in 2022 – relevant indicators grew three times or more compared to 2021.
This current list includes sanctions from the US authority OFAC, but sanctions relevant to the Austrian authorities would be reflected in the corresponding EU regulations, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior, confirming the position of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) described. , which is responsible for sanctions issues. “However, any information indicating possible sanctions evasion will be assessed by the DSN and, if necessary, investigations will be initiated,” he stressed. However, it is not possible for the Austrian authorities to publicly communicate or respond to personal data.
Source: Krone
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