OFAC targets more companies, ships and captains with links to al-Jamal network
Written by Nick Blenkey
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) yesreday sanctioned eighteen companies, individuals, and vessels for their ties to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)-backed Houthi financial official Sa’id al-Jamal and his network. Included in this action are the captains of vessels transporting illicit oil as well as the companies that managed and operated these ships.
The revenue from al-Jamal’s network continues to enable Houthi attacks in the region, including missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attacks on Israel and commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, says Treasury.
“The Houthis remain reliant on Sa’id al-Jamal’s international network and affiliated facilitators to transport and sell Iranian oil, continuing their campaign of violence,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. “Treasury remains committed to utilizing all available tools to disrupt this key source of illicit revenue that enables the Houthis’ destabilizing activities.”
SPRAWLING ILLICIT SHIPPING NETWORK
The al-Jamal network relies on a network of front companies and willing partners in multiple jurisdictions to facilitate the sale of Iranian petroleum and petroleum products for the benefit of the Houthis, says Treasury. For example, in late 2023, the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker Kapok (IMO 9315654), owned by Marshall Islands-registered Changtai Shipping Ltd, transported over a million barrels of crude oil, worth tens of millions of dollars, on behalf of al-Jamal and sanctioned Turkey-based, Houthi-associated businessman Abdi Nasir Ali Mahamud.
Changtai Shipping Ltd is being designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, al-Jamal. The Kapok is being identified as blocked property in which Changtai Shipping Ltd has an interest.
Similarly, Marshall Islands-based Motionavigations Limited and United Arab Emirates-based Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC served as the registered owner and operator, respectively, of a vessel that was used by the al-Jamal network to ship several millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian fuel oil.
UAE-based Ukrainian national Yevhen Skriabin owns and operates Motionavigations Limited, in addition to UAE-based companies Eco Max Trading FZE and Eco Max FZE. Established in June of 2019, Eco Max Trading FZE registered its subsidiary Eco Max FZE in 2020 to operate its maritime-related business. As part of this business, Eco Max FZE operates and manages multiple vessels, including the Cook Islands-flagged vessels Marbel (IMO 9220938), Trophy (IMO 9220940), and Onyx (IMO 9252400), and the Palau-flagged vessels Liana (IMO 9236755), Gratia (IMO 9260055), and the Juvenis (IMO 9260067). The Marbel, Trophy, and Liana have all been linked to illicit Iranian oil shipments.
UAE and India-based Indian national Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo Rattanlal acts as the managing director of Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC. Rattanlal has served in management roles for U.S.-designated companies Safe Seas Ship Management FZE and Aurum Ship Management FZC, which have been implicated in Iranian oil shipments for Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL) and the al-Jamal network. Hong Kong and India-based Indian national Dipankar Mohan Keot (Keot) serves as the technical manager of Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC. In this role, Keot is responsible for monitoring vessel operations, including the budget and expenditure of the vessels under Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC’s oversight.
Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC currently serves as the manager and operator of the Barbados-flagged KUKKI (IMO 9247388).
Motionavigations Limited and Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or service to or in support of al-Jamal.
Yevhen Skriabin is being designated for owning or controlling, directly or indirectly, Motionavigations Limited.
Eco Max Trading FZE is being designated for being owned, controlled, or directed by, directly or indirectly, Yevhen Skriabin. Eco Max FZE is being designated for being owned, controlled, or directed by, directly or indirectly, Eco Max Trading FZE. The Marbel, Trophy, Onyx, Liana, Gratia and the Juvenis are being identified as property in which Eco Max FZE has an interest.
Rahul Rattanlal Warikoo Rattanlal and Dipankar Mohan Keot are being designated for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC. The KUKKI is being identified as property in which Indo Gulf Ship Management LLC has an interest.
vessel captains
The al-Jamal network is not only reliant on its system of companies, managers, and vessels to transport Iranian commodities, but also on the individuals who oversee these shipments.
In mid-August, Iranian national Ali Barkhordar, while acting as the master of the U.S.-sanctioned vessel Yorgos, formerly known as the Ohar and Artura, conducted a ship-to-ship transfer with the U.S.-sanctioned Guyanese-flagged vessel Olympics, previously known as the Lady Sofia, captained by Pakistani national Wahid Ullah Durrani, to load sanctioned oil cargo on behalf of al-Jamal.
Ali Barkhordar and Wahid Ullah Durrani are being designated for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, al-Jamal.
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