Global sanctions rules are increasing rapidly, as are tools to detect and punish those who break them. In response, the U.K. government is creating a new Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) to investigate and penalize those who break sanctions rules. The consequences can be financial and even criminal, as well as causing reputational damage, loss of professional status, or being barred from practicing.

Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine...