The US is looking to confiscate alleged Iranian oil aboard a VLCC managed by Evangelos Marinakis' Capital Ship Management.
The US Department of Justice said on Wednesday that Iran-linked interests developed a covert scheme involving multiple ship-to-ship (STS) transfers to deceive the Greek manager on cargo origin.
The department has filed a forfeiture complaint in the district court of Washington DC for all oil aboard the 298,000-dwt VLCC Achilleas (built 2010), which is sailing to the US.
Vessel-tracking data shows the ship is expected to arrive in Galveston, Texas, in mid-February.
The ship manager confirmed to TradeWinds that it is in coordination with the Achilleas’ flag state of Liberia to follow instructions from US authorities, including its Office of Foreign Asset Control (Ofac).
“The cargo was loaded during [an] STS transfer at Fujairah Anchorage ... and loading was immediately aborted when the owners were informed that the cargo was misdeclared,” Capital said in an emailed statement.
“The cargo was wrongly described as of Iraqi origin, and loaded as part of a sophisticated and covert attempt to hide the Iranian origin of the cargo.
“Owners have throughout taken all necessary actions to ensure that they, at all times, remain in full compliance with all applicable laws and sanctions regulations, and have performed from the moment of first notification.”
Complex scheme
The court complaint alleged that the oil carried by the VLCC was originally from Iran’s Sirri Island and Kharg Island terminals.
In the second quarter of 2020, the 160,000-dwt Sarak (built 2001) and 164,200-dwt Sonia 1 (built 2008) allegedly loaded oil from the two terminals before conducting STS transfers with the 299,000-dwt Lubov (built 2003).
In August, the cargo on board the Lubov was transferred to the 299,000-dwt Trident Liberty (built 2002) off Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates.
In October last year, Fujairah International Oil and Gas Co chartered the Achilleas for a voyage to China, presenting a fraudulent bill of lading that indicated the oil carried by the Lubov was from the Iraqi terminal of Basrah, according to the complaint.
In November, the Achilleas received the oil aboard the Trident Liberty via another STS transfer.
The US Department of Justice accused the charterer of working on behalf of Iranian interests, including the Quds Force, which is designated by the US as a terrorist organisation.
Pressure from the US
Washington’s latest move has come despite President Joe Biden looking to defuse geopolitical tensions by renegotiating a nuclear pact with Iran.
Before the US, Iran and some other international powers can revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Washington is expected to continue curbing Iran’s oil exports.
Last summer, US authorities confiscated 1.16m barrels of Iranian gasoline aboard four MR tankers before selling it for charity.
The four Liberian-flagged ships were managed by Vienna Ltd and Palermo SA, both of which have connections to IMS principal George Gialozoglou.
The managers coordinated with Washington and were not accused of any wrongdoings by US authorities.
But Iranian forces briefly boarded the IMS-managed, 8,055-dwt tanker Wila (built 1997) in the Middle East Gulf in August last year — a move seen by some as retaliation against owners bowing to US pressure.
