The arrests mark a significant escalation in legal scrutiny surrounding Damen Shipyards, the Netherlands’ largest shipbuilder and a key supplier of naval vessels to the Dutch military and other NATO nations. According to reports from the Dutch television program Nieuwsuur, the case involves two company directors and centers on an extensive shipbuilding project for crab-fishing vessels. Investigators suspect that the company supplied goods to third countries that served as routes for sanctions evasion after EU restrictions against Russia took effect in February 2022. The alleged mechanism involved components reaching Russian shipyards through intermediate stations in Turkey and Hong Kong while the war in Ukraine was underway.
The principal legal question in this matter concerns the integrity of supply chain compliance under international sanctions regimes. Prosecutors appear to be examining whether Damen Shipyards knowingly facilitated the transfer of restricted goods to Russia via third-party jurisdictions. Evidence cited in media investigations suggests that at least three manufacturers, including the German propeller producer Schottel, identified their parts in import-data analyses. These manufacturers stated that the components had been supplied exclusively to Damen in the Netherlands, implying that the Dutch firm was the sole recipient of the goods before they allegedly entered the circumvention route.
Damen Shipyards has firmly rejected the allegations. In a statement to Nieuwsuur, the company emphasized that it has always acted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The firm stated that it is fully cooperating with all authorities involved in the investigation. Damen further noted that it had previously reviewed the relevant matters internally and voluntarily shared its findings and documents with customs authorities earlier in the year, including last summer. The company added that FIOD had visited several employees and its headquarters during the recent searches.
Media reports indicate that one of the searches conducted on Tuesday took place at a property in Noordeloos, Zuid-Holland, believed to be the home of Kommer Damen, the 81-year-old former CEO. He was not among those arrested. The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) clarified that this new sanctions case is separate from earlier legal proceedings involving Damen, which reached court for the first time last month. That prior matter concerns allegations of bribery, forgery, and money flows linked to high commission payments made between 2006 and January 2017 to agents who secured ship sales in Africa, Asia, and South America. During last week’s hearing, the OM revealed that two previously unidentified suspects in that bribery case had entered plea agreements. Damen, along with current CEO Arnout Damen and former executives Kommer Damen and René Berkvens, remains under scrutiny in those separate proceedings.
In addition to the current arrest and the historical bribery case, a third separate investigation exists regarding possible sanctions violations involving the delivery of cranes to Russia. Damen has previously rejected claims that these crane shipments breached sanctions. The convergence of these three distinct legal matters—current sanctions evasion, historical bribery, and prior crane deliveries—has significantly increased pressure on the company. For government clients and international customers, particularly in the security-relevant maritime environment, questions of compliance, supply chain control, and regulatory reliability are becoming increasingly important, including for partners such as Germany.
The legal landscape for Damen Shipyards is now defined by parallel tracks of inquiry. The current FIOD investigation focuses on the specific mechanics of the alleged circumvention, relying on seized digital and physical evidence to establish intent and the flow of goods. The presumption of innocence applies to all individuals named or implicated in these proceedings. While the company asserts its compliance and cooperation, the specific allegations of deliberate circumvention remain unresolved and subject to ongoing forensic examination of the seized data carriers. The next confirmed legal step involves the continuation of the FIOD’s analysis of the seized materials, with the broader bribery case scheduled to return to court on 11 December. Until formal charges are filed and adjudicated, the matter remains an active criminal investigation rather than a judicial finding of guilt.
