US OFAC sanctions Malaysian firm Transmarine Navigation

The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) recently took action against Malaysian maritime agency Transmarine Navigation (M) Sdn. Bhd. (Transmarine).

Transmarine was accused of providing forged documents for the US-sanctioned Dawn II (IMO: 9185530), falsely showing the commodities on board were of Malaysian rather than Iranian-origin.

“Transmarine was also involved in the transportation of Iranian commodities aboard the US-sanctioned Reneez (IMO: 9232450) on behalf of Sa’id al-Jamal,” OFAC said in a statement. 

Transmarine was among the several companies, individuals, and vessels sanctioned for their involvement in the shipment of Iranian commodities, including oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), to Yemen and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on behalf of the network of Iran-based, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF)-backed Houthi financial official Sa’id al-Jamal.

UAE-based K F D General Trading L.L.C. has similarly aided the al-Jamal network in arranging a shipment of Iranian commodities to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

Transmarine and KFD General Trading L.L.C. 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 services to or in support of, Sa’id al-Jamal.

“OFAC is also updating the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List) entry for the sanctioned vessel Artura (IMO: 9150365), which was responsible for shipping commodities for Sa’id al-Jamal, to reflect the changing of its name to OHAR,” it added. 

“The revenue from al-Jamal’s network helps finance the Houthis’ reckless targeting of shipping in the Red Sea and civilian infrastructure, which has led to grave consequences for both the region and the international community.”

“Today’s action underscores our continued commitment to disrupting Iran’s primary source of funding to its regional terrorist proxies like Lebanese Hizballah and the Houthis,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. 

“Our message is clear: those who seek to finance these groups’ destabilising activities will be held to account.”

Note: The full statement by OFAC can be read here. 

Photo credit: tommao wang on Unsplash
Published: 2 September, 2024