Info:
Mehdi Group found a partner outside of the company to supplement its efforts to assist the IRGC-QF. Lebanon-based Africo 1 Off-Shore SAL assists in, sponsors, or provides financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Mehdi Group subsidiary Vaniya Ship Management by operating the tanker JASMINE for the network. The JASMINE also is being identified today pursuant to E.O. 13224 as blocked property in which Africo 1 Off-Shore SAL has an interest;
India-based Mehdi Group and its director, Ali Zaheer Mehdi, have managed vessels and found additional ones to move Iranian oil. Mehdi Group bears responsibility for crewing and managing at least seven of the vessels used by the network. On August 30, 2019, Mehdi Group was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for assisting in, sponsoring, or providing financial, material, or technological support for, or financial or other services to or in support of, Rostam Qasemi;
Africo 1 (Off-Shore) SAL became the registered owner of Jasmine tanker and ship manager of the vessel on February 26;
Sandro and Jasmine tankers have been turning off their location transponders and conducting transfers of the Iranian oil to or from other vessels off the Syrian coast. Iran’s regime uses these tactics regularly to evade U.S. sanctions;
Jasmine tanker is owned by Africo 1 (Off-Shore) SAL. Africo 1 (Off-Shore) SAL owners are:
Marwan Ramadan, Bilal Atris and Khalid Deeb;
Synergy SAL (Offshore) and Africo 1 (Off-Shore), both firms share the same address in downtown Beirut’s Al-Azarieh Building office complex, according to their corporate records. The National visited the address, a company providing virtual offices and co-working spaces. Neither Synergy SAL Offshore nor Sandro Overseas (Off Shore) were present at the location. Africo 1 (Off-Shore) also uses the Al-Azarieh Building as an address and was also not present at the office complex. In another indication of Mr Foz’s involvement, when The National phoned the number listed on a Synergy SAL Offshore letterhead, the recipient denied the number was for the company. Instead, the receptionist said the number belonged to a different Beirut-based firm that corporate records lists Mr Foz as a part-owner;
Industry:
Shipping Industry
Also Known As:
Africo 1 (Off-Shore)
Africo 1 (Off-Shore) SAL
Africo 1 Offshore
Africo 1 Off-Shore S.A.L.
Country:
Lebanon
Address:
Beirut’s Al-Azarieh Building office complex
Al Azarieh Building, Bechara el Khoury Street, Beirut, Lebanon
Reason for the color:
» Added to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on September 4, 2019 pursuant to Executive Order 13224 today for being owned or controlled by Mehdi Group;
» Map of designated network;
» Web of Lebanese companies are shipping Iranian oil to Syria;