International Sanction Evasion and Circumvention Techniques: Key Actors, Methods, and Jurisdictions

• In Event: Carrot or Stick: Regulatory Models, Sanctions, and Offender Responses to Sanctions

Abstract

This study provides a qualitative analysis of mechanisms used to evade international sanctions, using legal documents, case studies, and global news aggregators as data sources. The objective is to reveal the methods that individuals and legal entities use to violate and evade international sanctions, by outlining their operational features, key actors, assets, jurisdictions, and financial flows. Preliminary results suggest that the techniques for violating and evading international sanctions often rely on the use of transnational networks to transfer assets and conceal beneficial ownership, by making use of proxies, shell companies, and cryptocurrencies. By delineating sanction circumvention techniques, the paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on the effectiveness of international sanctions. The insights provided can assist policymakers, regulators, and academics in developing more effective strategies to tackle sanction violation and evasion. The analysis is carried out under the project KLEPTOTRACE, co-funded by European Commission, ISF police.

Authors

• Matteo Anastasio, Transcrime - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

• Giovanni Nicolazzo, Transcrime - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

• Caterina Paternoster, Transcrime - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

• Laura Ventre, Transcrime - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

• Giorgia Cascone, Transcrime - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore

• Michele Riccardi, Transcrime - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore