Ira the dog "violated" sanctions against Iran

© Photo: Maria Novoselova / Vestnik Kavkaza

A dog's name, reminiscent of Iran, caused the blocking of the bank account of its owner in Finland. The woman was suspected of violating European sanctions against Iran.

A funny misunderstanding happened in Finland: the owner of a dog named Ira was mistakenly suspected of violating sanctions against Iran.

The incident happened in the city of Heinola, YLE reports. A bank account belonging to its resident Minnie Munte, who has a dog, Ira, was suddenly blocked.

It turned out that such a measure followed in response to one of the operations performed by the woman. The bank transfer was signed by Iran vakuutus. Munte meant "insurance for (dog) Ira". However, the banking program decided that it was meant for Iran. Thus, the woman accidentally violated EU sanctions.

"The system blocked the transfer. On top of that, Munte's account was frozen,”

– YLE reports.

The Finnish Financial Supervisory Authority explained that such misunderstandings are usually resolved very quickly - within 24 hours.