Info:
A third Mehdi Group subsidiary, Vaniya Ship Management Private Limited, helped Mehdi Group set up three shell companies in the Marshall Islands. Under Ali Ghadeer Mehdi’s management, the shell companies purchased three crude oil tankers: the SARAK, the SOBAR, and the SOLAN. The SOBAR and the SOLAN previously appeared in an OFAC advisory to the maritime petroleum shipping community, which warned of the sanctions risks associated with shipments of petroleum to the Government of Syria. Both vessels, as well as the SARAK, are identified today as blocked property in which Mehdi Group has an interest. Notably, the SARAK falsified the Iranian origin of its cargo to port authorities;
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;
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;
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against a large shipping network that is directed by and financially supports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and its terrorist proxy Hizballah. Over the past year, the IRGC-QF has moved oil worth hundreds of millions of dollars or more through this network for the benefit of the brutal Assad regime, Hizballah, and other illicit actors. Senior IRGC-QF official and former Iranian Minister of Petroleum Rostam Qasemi oversees this sprawling network, which features dozens of ship managers, vessels, and facilitators. This complex network of intermediaries enables the IRGC-QF to obfuscate its involvement in selling Iranian oil. The IRGC-QF also relies heavily on Hizballah officials and front companies to broker associated contracts. OFAC also is issuing a new shipping advisory to the maritime community warning of these types of schemes and the sanctions risks associated with blocked persons;
Industry:
Shipping Industry
Also Known As:
Vaniya Ship Management Private Limited
Vaniya Ship Management
Vaniya Ship Management LTD
Vaniya Ship Management PVT LTD
Registration Number:
244589 (India)
U63090MH2013PTC244589 (India)
Established:
18 June 2013
Country:
India
Address:
504, Crescent Tower C.S.No., Kismat Nagar Dheeraj Enclave, NL Road, Oshiwara, Andheri (W), Mumbai, Maharashtra 400053, India;
No. 504, Crescent Tower C.S.No., Kismat Nagar, Mumbai City 400053, India;
5th Floor, Samarth Aishwarya, 5012, Off KL Walawalker Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai 400053, India
504, 5th Floor, Crescent Tower, CST NO.500, Oshiwara off Link Road, Opp. Infinity Mall, Andheri (West), Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 053, India
Person of interests:
Syed Abbas Hussain
Vijaykumar Mishra
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;