An Garda Síochána has filed a report with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) over an alleged breach of financial sanctions introduced in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In response to questions from the Sunday Independent, a garda spokesman said The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) had sent the file to the DPP following an investigation into the alleged sanction breach.

This newspaper first reported on the alleged financial sanction breach in September last year, when gardaí were reviewing the report. It is believed to be the first report of an alleged financial sanction breach since Russia’s war in Ukraine started in February 2022.

The Garda spokesman added that another alleged financial sanction breach is also under review by the GNECB.

Financial sanctions include a ban on public financing or investment in Russia, restricted access to European Union (EU) primary and secondary capital markets for certain Russian banks and companies, and a prohibition on transactions with the Russian Central Bank.

The Department of Finance imposed a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a maximum €500,000 fine for breaches of the sanctions in Ireland.

The EU has implemented 10 rounds of sanctions since Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year. Talks on an eleventh round began last month.

Last month, Bloomberg reported that the EU was planning to launch a project with nine member states to identify gaps in the sanctions regime against Russia. The bloc is reportedly seeking to improve coordination between national authorities when enforcing penalties.

David O’Sullivan, a former diplomat from Ireland, was appointed to head the EU’s efforts to push for tighter international enforcement of sanctions.

He is expected to work closely with Commissioner Mairéad McGuinness, who has sanctions implementation as part of her brief as chief of financial services.