The United States has imposed sanctions on Indian ship services company for allegedly being involved in the transport of petroleum from Iran through a "Ghost Fleet" in defiance of curbs on Tehran.
The State Department said Friday that Gabbaro Ship Services Private Ltd, of India "knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the transport of petroleum from Iran" by acting as technical manager for the crude oil tanker Hornet.
Gabbaro also has an interest in the ship.
The sanctions followed an announcement from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, saying Washington is taking action against "the Ghost Fleet that carries Iran's illicit oil to buyers around the world."
The term Ghost Fleet refers to ships clandestinely transporting products.
Under the sanctions imposed on Gabbaro, all properties and any in which it has interests are frozen in the US, and that applies to persons or entities who have more than 50 per cent interest in the company, according to a notification issued by the State Department.
The Department also said that Engen Management, a Suriname-based company, was sanctioned as well as the commercial manager of Hornet.
Apart from this, two other Surinam companies and one each in China and Malaysia were also blacklisted.
Gabbaro is listed with the Registrar of Companies as a "one-man company" and is located in Mumbai, says corporate information provider Zauba Corp.
The International Maritime Risk Rating Agency said that Hornet is an oil tanker for which Gabarro is the "technical manager/operator".
According to Marine Traffic, which tracks shipping, Hornet sails under the Swaziland flag and was in Nansha Port in Guangzhou on Saturday.
The tanker appears to be plying between the Gulf and China.
According to Magic Port, which tracks ship traffic, Hornet's latest travels took it from a port in the United Arab Emirates in late August to Oman and then Singapore before arriving at the Guangzhou port on Wednesday.
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