Royal Marines detain tanker in Gibraltar suspected of carrying Iranian oil to Syria

Gibraltarian police and customs and a detachment of Royal Marines halted the vessel - AP
Gibraltarian police and customs and a detachment of Royal Marines halted the vessel – AP

A supertanker suspected of carrying crude oil to Syria in violation of EU sanctions was detained in Gibraltar on Thursday, the territory’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said.

The Grace 1 vessel was halted in the early hours of Thursday by Gibraltar police and customs agencies, aided by a detachment of British Royal Marines.

“We have reason to believe that the ‘Grace 1’ was carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in Syria,” Picardo said in a statement.

“That refinery is the property of an entity that is subject to European Union sanctions against Syria.

“We have detained the vessel and its cargo.”

<span>Gibraltarian police and customs and a detachment of Royal Marines halted the vessel</span> <span>Credit: &nbsp;Marcos Moreno/&nbsp;AP </span>
Gibraltarian police and customs and a detachment of Royal Marines halted the vessel Credit:  Marcos Moreno/ AP

The Grace 1 is a Panamanian-flagged tanker, according to the shipping trade publication Lloyd’s List. The maritime intelligence company added that the tanker is believed to be carrying oil from Iran.

It would be the first ship to with Iranian oil to come to Europe since late 2018, Lloyd’s said, adding that it comes at a sensitive time days after the EU started a financial trading instrument that circumvents US sanctions

European Union sanctions against Syria have been in force since late 2011.

<span>The&nbsp;Panamanian-flagged Grace 1 is thought to be carrying oil from Iran</span> <span>Credit: &nbsp;REUTERS </span>
The Panamanian-flagged Grace 1 is thought to be carrying oil from Iran Credit:  REUTERS

The 28-member bloc has imposed sanctions on 277 Syrian officials including government ministers over their role in the “violent repression” of civilians.

It has frozen the assets of some 72 entities and introduced an embargo on Syrian oil, investment restrictions and a freeze on Syrian central bank assets within the European Union.

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory, a small rocky outcrop on Spain’s southern tip.

source: yahoo.com