The Iranian-flagged oil tanker Grace 1, released on Thursday from Gibraltar after being held for over a month, will reportedly head to the Mediterranean Sea under a new name: the Adrian Darya.
The US Justice Department (DoJ) issued a warrant on Friday for the seizure of the Iranian supertanker Grace 1. According to the document, the vessel, all the oil aboard and $995,000 are subject to forfeiture based on violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), bank fraud, money laundering, and terrorism forfeiture statutes.
DOJ Press Release on #Grace1: #Iran #OOTT pic.twitter.com/B7vyY5ToG8
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) August 16, 2019
The warrant also alleges that “a scheme to unlawfully access the US financial system to support illicit shipments to Syria from Iran by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated foreign terrorist organization. The scheme involves multiple parties affiliated with the IRGC and furthered by the deceptive voyages of the Grace 1. A network of front companies allegedly laundered millions of dollars in support of such shipments”, according to the DoJ.
In addition, the document stresses that “a seizure warrant and a forfeiture complaint are merely allegations. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government”, according to the Justice Department.
The vessel was released on Thursday after Gibraltar reportedly received…
