Monthly Archives: June 2024

The U.S. hits Houthi allies in Oman, Hong Kong and India

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The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed financial sanctions on some entities and vessels that support the Houthi financial network.

“The United States government is committed to disrupting and degrading the Houthis’ ability to engage in attacks against commercial shipping and naval vessels, as well as target those who seek to facilitate these activitie,” said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson.

OFAC has identified Houthi affiliates in Oman, Hong Kong, and India, including shipping companies that help the houthi financier Sa’id al-Jamal sellelling commodities to China, Syria, and other jurisdictions: United Arab Emirates (UAE)- and Oman-based Shark International Shipping L.L.C; India-based Rayyan Shipping (OPC) Private Limited (Rayyan).

OFAC has designated Hong Kong-based Lainey Shipping Limited, the registered owner of the Panama-flagged JANET, and Panama-based Louis Marine Shipholding Enterprises S.A., the registered owner of the Panama-flagged BELLA 1, for their role in carrying sanctioned cargo on behalf of Hizballah-owned Concepto Screen SAL Off-Shore to Southeast Asia.

The list of entities, individuals, and vessels that have been added to the sanctions lists:

  • AL-JAMAL, ‘Abdallah Najib Ahmad, Yemen; DOB 02 Feb 1997; nationality Yemen; Gender Male; Passport 06134611 (Yemen) expires 26 Feb 2026;
  • ARULDHAS, John Britto, United Arab Emirates; Oman; DOB 20 Mar 1985; nationality India; Gender Male;
  • CHOUDHARY, Sandeep Singh, India; DOB 10 Feb 1981; POB Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India; nationality India; Gender Male; Passport P3727741 (India) expires 23 Oct 2026;
  • PANDEY, Vivek Ashok, India; DOB 17 Aug 1985; POB Hasanpur Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India; nationality India; Gender Male; Passport L6512200 (India) expires 12 Dec 2023;
    LAINEY SHIPPING LIMITED, Room 06, 17th Floor Wellborne Commercial 8, Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, China; Organization Established Date 21 Nov 2023; Identification Number IMO 6452873; Company Number 3340414 (Hong Kong);
  • LOUIS MARINE SHIPHOLDING ENTERPRISES S.A., Daire 18, Blok U, Mimarbasi Sokagi, Evliya Celebi Mah, 1, Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey; Organization Established Date 2023; RUC # 155736653-2-2023 (Panama); Identification Number IMO 6447484;
  • RAYYAN SHIPPING (OPC) PRIVATE LIMITED, 68, Rais Manjil, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226003, India; Organization Established Date 21 May 2021; Company Number U61100UP2021OPC146413 (India); Business Registration Number 146413 (India);
  • SHARK INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING L.L.C, M21, Al Souq, Al Kabeer, Deirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Post Box 40167, Deirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Office 804, Fujairah Welfare Building, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; No. 204, 2nd Floor, Al Danah Building, Khorfakan, United Arab Emirates; North Al Batinah Governorate, Sohar 311, Oman; Website https://www.shark-intl.com; Organization Established Date 07 Apr 2022; alt. Organization Established Date 28 Jun 2022; alt. Organization Established Date 07 Dec 2023; Commercial Registry Number 1521379 (Oman); License 1027607 (United Arab Emirates); alt. License 1021796 (United Arab Emirates); alt. License 798429 (United Arab Emirates); Economic Register Number (CBLS) 11818260 (United Arab Emirates); alt. Economic Register Number (CBLS) 11898245 (United Arab Emirates); alt. Economic Register Number (CBLS) 11860782 (United Arab Emirates);
  • BELLA 1 (3E3494) Crude Oil Tanker Panama flag;
  • JANET (3E7497) Crude Oil Tanker Panama flag.

A Chinese company unveiled its drone at a forum featuring Putin

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A Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer, Tsingaero Armaments, unveiled their drone, the JZ-550, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which took place in Russia from June 5-8.

SPIEF is Russia’s main economic forum, and every year, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, participates.

This time, all attendees could see a Chinese JZ-550 UAV placed near the entrance to the forum.

The JZ-550 is a product of Tsingaero, a synchrocopter with rotors angled to each other.

JZ-550 / Photo: SL

In March 2024, the Tatarstan Investment Development Agency claimed that Tsingaero had plans to start manufacturing UAVs in Tatarstan, but later removed the claim.

The JZ-550, which was unveiled at SPIEF, has the ability to put out fires using special equipment, but other products from Tsingaero Armaments may also be used for military purposes.

The Tsingaero website claims that the UAV JZ-150 can perform both civil and military missions in a variety of scenarios, with intelligence, communication, electronic jamming equipment, and various weapons and ammunition on board.

The Tsingaero website

In February 2024, the EU imposed new sanctions on Russia, expanding the list of items that are restricted and could contribute to Russia’s defence and security. The list includes components for the development and production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

OFAC deletes Swiss businessman Alexander Studhalter from the sanctions list

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The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has removed Swiss businessman Alexander Studhalter, as well as several entities linked to him, from its sanctions list, including MG International AG, Papa Oscar Ventures GmbH, and SCI AAA Properties.

Alexander Studhalter’s companies and he himself were sanctioned in 2022 after OFAC alleged that he had been a key figure in Suleiman Kerimov’s financial network and had allegedly laundered large amounts of money for Kerimov.

Suleiman Kerimov is a prominent Russian businessman and former government official who was designated by OFAC in 2018 as an official of Russia’s government. He has also been sanctioned by other countries, including Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

In June 2022, the OFAC issued a Notification of Blocked Property to the Heritage Trust, a Delaware-based entity with which Kerimov had an interest in property. As of June 30, 2021, Heritage Trust had assets valued at more than $1 billion. An extensive investigation by OFAC revealed that Kerimov used relatives, advisors, and opaque legal entities to invest in the US, and used a complex series of structures and front companies to hide his interest in the Heritage Trust.

Uncontrolled Carlsberg’s breweries launch a drink for the Russian military

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Baltika Breweries LLC, which Russia took control of from Carlsberg, began producing a drink for the Russian military.

The Russian Baltika Breweries LLC has launched the production of a tonic drink “For its own” (“Для СВОих”), which it will supply free of charge to the Russian military.

This is a nonprofit project, the drink was created as a morale booster for our soldiers, and it is delivered to the front lines for free,” said Taimuraz Bolloev, president of Baltika.

Taimuraz Bolloev / Photo: Baltika Breweries

Baltika is owned by the Danish company Carlsberg. In 2022, following the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine, Carlsberg decided to pull out of Russia and sell its business there. Cees’t Hart, chief executive officer of Carlsberg Group, said, “Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and we call for peace to be urgently restored.”

But the Russian government issued a presidential decree transferring Baltika Breweries under the temporary management of the Russian Federal Agency for State Property Management.

Carlsberg Group did not receive any official information from Russian authorities regarding the presidential decree or its implications for Baltika.

Later, Taimuraz Bolloev, who ran the company prior to its acquisition by Carlsberg, became president of Baltika LLC.

In October 2023, the Carlsberg Group informed Baltika Breweries that they had terminated the license agreements that enabled Baltika to produce, market, and sell all Carlsberg products, including both international and regional brands.

Canada adds 10 people linked to Ukraine to the sanctions list.

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The Canadian government has expanded the sanctions list, adding 10 people associated with Ukraine to it.

Among those sanctioned are Mykola Azarov, former Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014, and his son Alexey. Both moved to Russia a few years ago. Raisa Bogatyreva, the Minister of Health of Ukraine in the government of Azarov, Viktor Pshonka, the former Prosecutor General of Ukraine (2010-2014) and others were also sanctioned.

These individuals have been added to Canada‘s sanctions list:

1. Mykola Yanovych AZAROV (born on December 17, 1947)
2. Oleksii Mykolayovych AZAROV (born on July 13, 1971)
3. Raisa Vasylivna BOHATYRIOVA (born on January 6, 1953)
4. Andrii Petrovych KLIUIEV (born on August 12, 1964)
5. Serhiy Vitaliyovych KURCHENKO (born on September 21, 1985)
6. Viktor Pavlovych PSHONKA (born on February 6, 1954)
7. Artem Viktorovych PSHONKA (born on March 19, 1976)
8. Dmytro Volodymyrovych TABACHNYK (born on November 26, 1963)
9. Oleksandr Hryhorovych YAKYMENKO (born on December 22, 1964)
10. Vitalii Yuriyovych ZAKHARCHENKO (born on January 20, 1963)

Russia’s courts hit foreign investors and banks

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Arbitration courts in Russia have begun making decisions that restrict the rights of foreign shareholders in Russian companies, as well as requiring the return of money frozen due to sanctions.

The Arbitration Court in the Moscow Region has considered a case involving the GV Gold gold mining company and its foreign shareholder – the BlackRock fund, and decided to temporarily restrict BlackRock’s right.

The GV Gold company stated that its foreign shareholders had ceased participating in general meetings since February 24th, 2022 due to restrictive measures imposed on Russia by foreign countries or international organizations. This was in response to the sanctions imposed against Russia, Russian legal entities, and individuals.

The company argued that this non-participation was contrary to the interests of the company and the court agreed, suspending the rights of the foreign investors.

GV Gold (Vysochaishy OJSC) produced 258,000 ounces of gold in 2023. The company operates six gold mines with a combined capacity of up to 10.5 million tons of ore per year.

It was reported in 2022 that BlackRock, which is the world’s leading provider of investment, advisory and risk management solutions, owned 17.99% of the shares in GV Gold.

Another court decision affected the Japanese Mizuho Bank Ltd. The Moscow Arbitration Court considered the claim of the Russian Sberbank and decided that Mizuho Bank should return 94 million yen to it, which were frozen in 2022 after the imposition of sanctions on Sberbank. Until 2022, Mizuho Bank provided Sberbank with cash clearing services in Japanese yen.

Poland imposes sanctions on Mozyrsalt JSC

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Poland has imposed sanctions on Mozyrsalt JSC, which is part of the Belarusian State Concern Belgospischeprom.

Mozyrsalt is one of the largest producers of high-quality evaporated salt.

According to the Polish government’s statement, the company is linked to Oleg Anatolyevich Eibatov and Gennady Andreevich Bogdan, both of whom are included in the EU’s sanctions list.

Oleg Eibatov currently works as deputy general director for security at Mozyrsalt, while Gennady Bogdan is the director of the company.

Previously, Oleg Eibatov was head of the maritime border detachment responsible for the Belarus-Ukraine border and the movement of people and goods across it.

Gennady Bogdan is the director of JSC “Mozyrsalt”. Previously, he worked in the Office of the President of the Republic of Belarus.