U.S. Treasury Exposes Continued Efforts by Iran to Avoid Sanctions Against its Shipping Line
October 27th, 2010
Treasury Exposes Continued Efforts by Iran to Avoid Sanctions
Against its Shipping Line
Treasury Designates IRISL Front Companies and Directors
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the designation of 37 front companies based in Germany, Malta, and Cyprus and five Iranian individuals for being owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its affiliates. Today’s action, taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, targets IRISL’s complex network of shipping and holding companies and executives and further exposes Iran’s use of its national maritime carrier to advance its illicit weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program and to carry military cargoes.
“We will continue to expose the elaborate structures and tactics Iran uses to shield its shipping line from international scrutiny so that it can continue to facilitate illicit commerce,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey. “This pattern of obfuscation is leading the private sector around the world to refuse business with Iran rather than risk becoming involved in its nuclear and missile programs.”
Following its September 2008 designation by Treasury under E.O. 13382 for its provision of logistical services to Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics, the arm of the Iranian military that oversees its ballistic missile program, IRISL has increasingly created and relied upon a series of front companies and has engaged in deceptive behavior to assist efforts to evade the impact of sanctions and increased scrutiny of its activities. Including today’s action, Treasury has designated nearly 70 IRISL front companies and affiliates and has identified more than 100 ships as being the property of IRISL or its fronts.
Pursuant to E.O. 13382 – which is aimed at freezing the assets of proliferators of WMD and their supporters, thereby isolating them from the U.S. financial and commercial systems – Treasury today designated:
Fifteen shipping companies, each the registered owner of a vessel already on Treasury’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List), as blocked property of IRISL, and 11 holding companies that own the shipping companies. All of the holding companies and shipping companies are based at the same address in Hamburg, Germany.
- Mohamad Talai, manager of the 11 Hamburg-based holding companies and an authorized representative of IRISL Europe GmbH, an IRISL subsidiary designated by Treasury in September 2008; and of Darya Capital Administration GmbH, a newly identified subsidiary of IRISL Europe GmbH, also designated today.
- Mansour Eslami, co-manager of several of these Hamburg-based holding companies and also a director of IRISL (Malta) Limited, a subsidiary of IRISL designated in September 2008.
- Shere Shipping Company Limited, Tongham Shipping Co Ltd, Uppercourt Shipping Company Limited, and Vobster Shipping Company, four firms all located at the same address in Malta that are directly or indirectly owned or controlled by IRISL or one of its subsidiaries. Each of these firms is the registered owner of a vessel already on Treasury’s SDN List as blocked property of IRISL.
- Woking Shipping Investments Limited, an IRISL subsidiary that owns the four Malta-based shipping companies, and Kerman Shipping Co Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IRISL. Both companies are also based in Malta.
- Ahmad Sarkandi, the director of all six IRISL front companies located in Malta and a director of IRISL UK and Irinvestship, both designated by Treasury in September 2008. He also manages Lancelin Shipping Company Limited, a company based in Cyprus that is wholly-owned by IRISL, and is the director of Ocean Capital Administration GmbH, a Germany-based holding company that, together with IRISL Europe GmbH, owns Nari Shipping and Chartering GmbH & Co. KG, based in Hamburg, Germany – all designated today.
- Ghasem Nabipour, the Managing Director and a principal shareholder of Soroush Sarzamin Asatir Ship Management Company, which was designated by Treasury in June 2010.
- HTTS Hanseatic Trade Trust and Shipping GmbH, an agent for Safiran Payam Darya Shipping Company (SAPID) and Hafiz Darya Shipping Company (HDS Lines), two IRISL front companies designated by Treasury in June 2010.
- Naser Bateni, the managing director for HTTS Hanseatic Trade Trust and Shipping GmbH, and IRISL Europe GmbH, an IRISL subsidiary designated by Treasury in September 2008.
For a complete list of the individuals and entities designated today, visit link.
Identifying Information:
Individual: TALAI, Mohamad
Location: Hamburg, Germany
DOB: June 4, 1953
Individual: ESLAMI, Mansour
DOB: January 31, 1965
Individual: SARKANDI, Ahmad
AKA: SARKANDI, Ahmed
AKA: SARKANDI, Akhmed
Address: 2 Abbey Road, Barking Essex 1G11 7AX, London, United Kingdom
Address: No 143 Shahid Lavasani Avenue, Farmanieh, Tehran, Iran
Address: Suite B 12/F, Two Chinachem Plaza, 135 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
Address: 15 Rodney Court, Maida Vale, W9 1TQ, London, United Kingdom
DOB: September 30, 1953
Individual: NABIPOUR, Ghasem
AKA: POUR, Ghasem Nabi
Address: 143 Shahid Lavasani Avenue, Farmanieh, Tehran, Iran
Address: Suite B 12/F, Two Chinachem Plaza, 135 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
DOB: January 16, 1956
Passport: L11758148
Individual: BATENI, Naser
Location: Hamburg, Germany
DOB December 16, 1962
Entity: DARYA CAPITAL ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 6, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: EIGHTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: EIGHTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: ELEVENTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: ELEVENTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: FIFTEENTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: FIFTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, 22087, Hamburg, Germany
Entity: FIFTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: FIRST OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, 22087, Hamburg, Germany
Entity: FOURTEENTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: FOURTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: FOURTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: NINTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, 22087, Hamburg, Germany
Entity: NINTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SECOND OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SECOND OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SEVENTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SEVENTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SIXTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SIXTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: TENTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: THIRD OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: THIRD OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: THIRTEENTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: TWELFTH OCEAN ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: TWELFTH OCEAN GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: HTTS HANSEATIC TRADE TRUST AND SHIPPING, GMBH
Address: Schottweg 7, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: KERMAN SHIPPING CO LTD
Address: 143/1 Tower Road, SLM1604, Sliema, Malta
Entity: LANCELIN SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED
Address: Fortuna Court, Block B, 284 Archiepiskopou Makariou C’ Avenue, 2nd Floor, 3105, Limassol, Cyprus
Entity: NARI SHIPPING AND CHARTERING GMBH & CO. KG
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: OCEAN CAPITAL ADMINISTRATION GMBH
Address: Schottweg 5, Hamburg 22087, Germany
Entity: SHERE SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED
Address: 143/1 Tower Road, SLM1604, Sliema, Malta
Entity: TONGHAM SHIPPING CO LTD
Address: 143/1 Tower Road, SLM1604, Sliema, Malta
Entity: UPPERCOURT SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED
Address: 143/1 Tower Road, SLM1604, Sliema, Malta
Entity: VOBSTER SHIPPING COMPANY LTD
Address: 143/1 Tower Road, SLM1604, Sliema, Malta
Entity: WOKING SHIPPING INVESTMENTS LIMITED
Address: 143/1 Tower Road, SLM1604, Sliema, Malta
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Source: Treas.gov