Legal

Firm linked to alleged Dan-Bunkering Syrian war activities under sanction

OFAC placed Maritime Assistance LLC and five vessels under sanctions after co-investigation with the FBI.

Published

7 years ago

September 26, 2019

Admin

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday (27 September) placed one entity, three individuals, and five vessels under sanctions for participating in a sanctions evasion scheme to facilitate the delivery of jet fuel to Russian forces operating in Syria.

Specifically, OFAC designated Maritime Assistance LLC, a front company supporting the U.S-designated company OJSC Sovfracht (Sovfracht) originally designated for operating in Ukraine.

Sovfracht is behind a sanctions evasion conspiracy, orchestrated by the three individuals (Ivan Okorokov, Karen Stepanyan, and Ilya Loginov) to make payments and facilitate the transfer of supplies of jet fuel to Russian forces operating in Syria in support of the Assad government.

In addition, OFAC identified five vessels namely YAZ (IMO 9735323), SIG (IMO 9735335), SUDAK (IMO 8943155), PASSAT (IMO 8523242), and OT-2077 (IMO 9025778) as blocked property of Transpetrochart Co. Ltd., a Russian company designated by OFAC in December 2016 for providing material support to Sovfracht.

OFAC designated Russian shipping company Sovfracht-Sovmortrans Group and its subsidiary, Sovfracht, in September 2016 pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13685 for operating in the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Following its designation, Sovfracht relied on vessels owned by another U.S.-designated entity — Transpetrochart Co. Ltd. — to make deliveries of jet fuel to Syria.

OFAC coordinated the action with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

“The FBI is proud to have been a part of the team that unravelled this complicated scheme that supplied fuel for Russian jet fighters supporting Assad’s regime,” said Alan E. Kohler, Jr, Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division, FBI Washington Field Office.

“The FBI will continue to work closely with our Department of Justice and Treasury partners to identify and bring to justice those individuals or entities that conspire to violate U.S. sanctions, and in turn, imperil our financial system and our national security.”

Marine fuels trading firm Dan-Bunkering, including another unidentified company, and two individuals are currently facing charges by the Danish State Prosecutor of Serious Economic and International Crime (SOIK) over alleged violation of EU Syria sanctions.

A September report from the State Prosecutor of Denmark, send by the Minister of Justice to the Danish Justice Committee in the Danish Parliament, has identified Maritime Assistance LLC and Sovfracht to be working with Dan-Bunkering.

The original report [written in Danish] can be obtained here from The Danish Parliament’s website.

Earlier coverage leading to the recent development can be found below:

Published: 27 September, 2019

Winding up

Singapore: Nan Shan Maritime liquidator issues notice of intended dividend

Creditors will need to produce proofs of debt to liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime by 14 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

23 hours ago

July 1, 2026

Admin

A notice to declare intended dividend of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd to its creditors has been posted on the Government Gazette on Tuesday (30 June).

The following are the details of the notice of intended dividend:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 14 July 2026
Name of Liquidator : Tam Chee Chong
Address : c/o 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 1 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Kekal Shipping Pte Ltd to undergo voluntary wind up

A liquidator has been appointed at an extraordinary general meeting held on 18 June for the purpose of winding up the company’s affair, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

2 days ago

June 30, 2026

Admin

A notice in the Government Gazette was published by the Director of Kekal Shipping Pte Ltd on Friday (26 June), regarding resolutions that were passed in relation to the winding up of the company.

The following resolutions were duly passed during an an Extraordinary General Meeting of the company, which was held at 1 Harbourfront Avenue, #14-07 Keppel Bay Tower, Singapore 098632 on 18 June at 10am:

SPECIAL RESOLUTION

RESOLVED that the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018.

ORDINARY RESOLUTION

RESOLVED that Ms Lee Yan Huei of Messrs Acclime Corporate Advisory Singapore Pte. Ltd. be appointed liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such winding up

Photo credit: Jo_Johnston from Pixabay
Published: 30 June, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Nicholas James Gronow, director of the Singapore-based bunker tanker owner, filed a statutory declaration last year for the company, stating the firm cannot continue their businesses due to its liabilities.

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2026

Admin

Several written resolutions for Singapore-based bunker tanker owner Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping Pte Ltd (HTFS) were approved by the sole shareholder of the company on 19 June, according to a post in the Government Gazette on Friday (26 June).

Manifold Times previously reported a director of HTFS filing a statutory declaration (SD) with the Official Receiver’s office stating that the company cannot continue its business due to its liabilities.

The company was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

The duly passed resolutions were:

SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS:

That the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018).
That the Liquidators be authorised to exercise any or all of the powers provided under Section 144(1)(b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) and 144(2) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018).
That the Liquidators be and are hereby authorised to distribute in cash or in specie any or all of the assets of the Company remaining after satisfaction of all debts and liabilities.

ORDINARY RESOLUTIONS:

That Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., One Raffles Quay #27-10 South Tower Singapore 048583 be and are hereby appointed the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up and that the Liquidators be indemnified by the Company against all costs, charges, losses, expenses and liabilities incurred or sustained by them in the execution and discharge of their duties in relation thereto.
That the remuneration of the Liquidators be based on their normal scale rates for carrying out the engagement plus disbursements and the prevailing goods-and-services tax and that the Liquidators’ remuneration be paid out of the assets of the Company.

In another notice, the liquidators of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping said creditors for the company are required on or before the 27 July to send in their names and addresses and particulars of their debts or claims, and the names and addresses of their solicitors (if any) to the liquidators.

Liquidators may also require creditors to, “come in and prove their debts or claims at such time and place as shall be specified in such notice, or in default thereof they will be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such debts are proved.”

The liquidators can be contacted at the following address:

WONG PHENG CHEONG MARTIN
KOAY MAY YEE
JOINT AND SEVERAL LIQUIDATORS
of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
One Raffles Quay
#27-10 South Tower
Singapore 048583