By Pishtaz | 2024-06-21

Vessels and tanker captains in multiple jurisdictions that have engaged in the illicit transport of oil and other commodities for the network of Houthi financial facilitator Said al-Jamal were added to a US blacklist June 10.

The new round of sanctions is the seventh to target al-Jamal's network since October, the US Treasury said.

"This action targets maritime shipping and financial facilitators, several vessel managers and owners, and a company involved in forging shipping documents," it said.

"It underscores the US government's commitment to isolating and disrupting the financing of international terrorist groups such as the Houthis," it added.

"The Houthis continue to leverage an expansive support network to facilitate their illicit activities," said Treasury official Brian E. Nelson.

These include "hiding the origin of cargo, forging shipping documents, and providing services to sanctioned vessels," he said.

Al-Jamal, who goes by the Chinese alias "Caihong," or "Rainbow," relies on a network of foreign shipping firms to sell and transport commodities to China, Syria and other jurisdictions, the Treasury said.

Shark International Shipping LLC, based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, has worked with the network to furnish forged shipping documents for vessels shipping commodities on behalf of the Iran-backed Houthis.

Shark managing director John Britto Aruldhas is also facing sanctions.

India-based Rayyan Shipping Private Limited has served as the manager and technical operator of the sanctioned Guyana-flagged vessel Olympics.

Formerly known as the Lady Sofia, Olympics, which is captained by Vivek Ashok Pandey, continues to carry cargo for the al-Jamal network.

As of mid-May, it was operating under forged paperwork falsely indicating it was carrying Malaysian commodities that were loaded at a Malaysian port in April.

Also facing sanctions is al-Jamal's Yemen-based nephew, Abdallah Najib Ahmad al-Jamal, who manages money laundering operations for the network.

He has moved funds on behalf of Said al-Jamal, working with money launderer Bilal Hudroj and sanctioned Yemeni exchange houses Davos Company for Exchange and Transfers and Al-Rawda Exchange and Money Transfers Company.

"Abdallah al-Jamal has handled millions of dollars' worth of currency that has been transferred to Yemen as part of these money laundering operations," the Treasury said.