A spokesperson for HM Revenue & Customs confirmed to The Art Newspaper that it had launched the investigation that led to the prosecution, believed to be the first under the law banning the supply of luxury goods to Russia.
The UK sanctioned Balkans-based gangs and financiers who it said facilitated small boat crossings across the English Channel. The UK Foreign Office said the sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans, targeted criminal gangs involved in "illegal migration to the UK." The sanctions came as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted European leaders at a Western Balkans summit to discuss migration and economy.
The United Kingdom has sanctioned 25 targets involved in alleged people smuggling, under a new financial sanctions regime targeting those facilitating the travel of refugees and migrants across the English Channel via small boats.