The US has put sanctions on an Indian company that provides ship services for reportedly helping transport oil from Iran via a “Ghost Fleet” in violation of sanctions against Tehran. On Friday, the State Department stated that Gabbaro Ship Services Private Ltd, an Indian company, knowingly participated in a major transaction for transporting petroleum from Iran by serving as the technical manager for the oil tanker Hornet. It has been stated that Gabbaro also holds a stake in the ship.
The penalties came after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated that the US was targeting the “Ghost Fleet” responsible for transporting Iran’s illegal oil to global customers. Ghost Fleet is the term used for ships secretly carrying goods. According to the State Department notification, Gabbaro is subject to sanctions that freeze all assets and interests in the US, including those of individuals or entities owning over 50 percent of the company.
The Department also mentioned that Engen Management, a company located in Suriname, was also penalized as the commercial manager of Hornet. Furthermore, sanctions were imposed on two additional Surinamese companies, as well as one company each from China and Malaysia. Gabbaro is listed as a “sole proprietorship” with the Registrar of Companies and is situated in Mumbai, as per data from Zauba Corp.
Hornet is an oil tanker and Gabarro serves as the “technical manager/operator” according to the International Maritime Risk Rating Agency. Marine Traffic, a tracker of maritime vessels, stated that the ship named Hornet flies the flag of Swaziland and was located at Nansha Port in Guangzhou on Saturday. It seems like the tanker is traveling a path from the Gulf to China. Based on data from Magic Port, Hornet’s most recent voyages included a departure from a port in the UAE in late August, then sailing to Oman, making a stop in Singapore before reaching the Guangzhou port on Wednesday.