The US Justice Department recenly announced the seizure of three websites used by Iranian front company, as it was allegedly shipping fuel on four tankers to Venezuela.
Specifically, Justice Department seized three websites used by: Mobin International, Sohar Fuel, and Oman Fuel, who reportedly arranged a multimillion dollar fuel shipment by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization, that was bound for Venezuela.
In light of the situation, US Justice Department reported:
On July 2, 2020, the United States filed a complaint seeking to forfeit all petroleum-product cargo aboard four foreign-flagged oil tankers, including Bella, Bering, Pandi and the Luna. A seizure order for the cargo from all four vessels was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Following the above, on Aug. 14, 2020, the United States announced that it successfully executed the seizure order and confiscated the cargo from all four vessels, totaling approximately 1.116 million barrels of petroleum.
Concluding, the forfeiture complaint alleged how Mohammad Madanipour used a web of front companies, including Mobin International to perpetrate this scheme.
Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 2232, interfering with lawful execution of the United States seizure order may subject a party to criminal penalties for interfering with the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for District of Columbia over the petroleum cargo.
