Six people were arrested for allegedly exporting dual-use goods to countries sanctioned by the European Union, Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office said Tuesday after police raided companies and houses in rural Belgium and the Netherlands, according to Politico.
“Some of the technologies traded could fall under embargo rules applicable to certain countries, such as Russia, notably because of armed conflict,” the office said in a press release.
Police raided “private homes and company headquarters” in Knokke-Heist and Eeklo in Belgium’s Flanders region and in Rotterdam and Sluis in the Netherlands, the statement said.
“The investigation will have to determine whether these strategic and protected technologies may have been marketed to countries where Belgium and the European Parliament impose legal restrictions.”
Four people were detained for questioning in Belgium and two in the Netherlands. The raids are part of a joint investigation with the United States government.
According to the statement from the prosecutor’s office, dual-use objects “can be used in both civilian and military applications, such as drones or missiles. Examples include microchips, accelerometers, turbine engines.”
The EU has imposed restrictions on the trade in dual-use goods and technologies against several countries. These include Russia and Belarus, for their role in Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as well as North Korea and Iran.