LADY SOFIA

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Latest news

Four tankers sanctioned for illegally transporting sanctioned goods

On June 10, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned ten individuals, entities, and vessels, including two captains for illegally transporting sanctioned oil and other goods. The illegal activity included operations for the Sa'id al-Jamal network, Houthis Finance Facilitator. The OFAC has sanctioned the captain of the 'Olympics', formerly the 'Lady Sofia', a sanctioned vessel that continues transporting cargo for the Sa'id al-Jamal network. The OFAC stated that in mid-May, the tanker had used forged paperwork that falsely specified that the vessel was loaded with Malaysian cargo from a Malaysian Port at the end of April. Another sanction by OFAC was against the Captain of the 'La Pearl' (IMO: 9174660), also known as 'Elita', and her commercial manager is Saone Shipping Corporation, which is under sanction by the OFAC. The vessel offloaded the sanctioned cargo and is anchored off the China coast. On June 2, it sailed from Dongjiakou. The tanker 'Janet' (IMO: 9220952), actually en route from Malacca to Singapore with an ETA as of June 18, and 'Bella 1', which was anchoraed off Khor Fakkan as of June 12, were sanctioned for transporting sanctioned cargo for the Concepto Screen SAL Off Shore to southeast Asia. The OFAC has also sanctioned the registered owners of the tankers, the Lainey Shipping Ltd. and the Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises S.A.

Tanker blacklisted after STS with fake vessel

The USA have blacklisted the 'Ady Sofia' after a ship-to-ship transfer with ‘fake’ vessel linked to the Houthi financial fixer Sa’id al-Jamal. The tanker was expected to deliver its cargo of alleged Iranian oil to China. It had received the cargo on Jan 31, 2024, off Singapore from a tanker that was falsely broadcasting its location and disguised as a fictitious tanker, the 'Amor', according to US Treasury officials. The “fake” tanker, the 'Mehle' (built 1999), had been blacklisted earlier that month because it was said to be linked to the network of the alleged Houthi financial fixer Sa’id al-Jamal.

Pilot boat sank during tanker's assistance - two dead

The pilot boat 'Hoshiri' sank on Nov 18, 2019,, while in service of the 'Ultimate Freedom' which was loading a crude petroleum oil shipment from the Bashayer oil terminal in Port Sudan. Two crew members of the oil terminal were reported lost or missing.