British businessman David Crisp, owner of the luxury perfume brand 'Boadicea the Victorious,' was captured on video admitting to selling perfume in Russia, despite sanctions that prohibit such trade.

The revelations came from an undercover operation commissioned by Crisp's former business partner, David Garofalo, who suspected Crisp of continuing illegal sales in Moscow.

In footage obtained by a private investigator posing as a Las Vegas businessman, Crisp acknowledges ignoring UK government sanctions post Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion.

Despite evidence indicating over £1.7 million worth of illegal sales, authorities have not pursued criminal charges against Crisp, even after his arrest by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in 2023.

HMRC has since dropped its investigation, citing no further action.

This lack of enforcement has drawn criticism from political figures like Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, who argues that the UK is lagging in prosecuting sanctions violators, unlike the US.

The broader concern is that failing to prosecute such cases sends a message of leniency, undermining international efforts to impose sanctions on Russia.