MARCH 15, 2013 — The U.S. Department of the Treasury yesterday imposed sanctions on a Greek businessman, Dr. Dimitris Cambis, saying that he helped Iran evade international oil sanctions.

Now named Ocean Nymph, former BW Ubud (ex-Ubud) is one of eight tankers identified by Treasury as being purchased for NITC

Through several of his front companies, says Treasury, Dr. Cambis used Iranian funds to purchase oil tankers and disguised the Iranian origin of oil transported on these vessels.  Cambis, and all of the companies listed today, have been identified as acting on behalf of the Government of Iran and are subject to sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13599, which blocks the property of the Government of Iran.
 
"Today we are lifting the veil on an intricate Iranian scheme that was designed to evade international oil sanctions," said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.  "We will continue to expose deceptive Iranian practices, and to sanction those individuals and entities who participate in these schemes."
 
According to Treasury, Dr. Cambis, President of Impire Shipping Limited (Impire), established his shipping company, as well as several front companies, to purchase oil tankers while disguising the fact that the tankers were being purchased on behalf of the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC).  

These front companies were used to obscure the fact that these vessels, which are capable of carrying roughly 200 million dollars worth of oil per shipment, are the property of the Iranian government.  Another front company, Libra Shipping, operates the vessels Cambis and Impire purchased on behalf of NITC with the aim of loading them with Iranian oil supplied by the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).  These operations are conducted through a series of ship-to-ship transfers in an attempt to mask the fact that the true origin of the oil is from Iran and to introduce it into the global market as if it were non-Iranian oil.  In December 2012, for example, NITC and Impire completed a ship-to-ship transfer of Iranian oil off Khor Fakkah, U.A.E.  These operations are a clear example of NITC's ongoing business practices designed to deceive the international community and evade sanctions.  To date, Treasury has identified 58 vessels as blocked property in which NITC has an interest.
 
Treasury also identified the eight tankers purchased by Cambis on behalf of NITC, the eight front companies that nominally own them, as well as a network of Iranian government front companies that provided some of the funds that Impire Shipping Company used to purchase vessels for NITC.  This network of Iranian government front companies includes Sima General Trading, Polinex General Trading, Asia Energy General Trading and Synergy General Trading.
 
Sima General Trading Company and Asia Energy General Trading have each made payments of more than $100 million to Impire.  Polinex General Trading Company has also supplied money to Impire for the purchase of oil tankers.
 
This network of UAE-based Iranian government front companies has conducted business on behalf of previously sanctioned entities such as Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO) Sarl, which was identified as a Government of Iran entity in 2008.  Sima General Trading and Asia Energy General Trading conduct business on behalf of NICO Sarl, and NICO Sarl has made payments to Synergy General Trading.  Additionally, Hong Kong Intertrade Company, which was identified as a front company for NICO or NIOC in July 2012, has made payments to Polinex General Trading.
 
U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with Dimitris Cambis or the entities blocked pursuant to E.O. 13599, and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are blocked.
 
Identifying Information
 
Name:  Dimitris Cambis
AKA:  Dimitrios Alexandros Kampis
AKA:  Gustav Klimt
DOB:  October 14, 1963
 
Name:  Impire Shipping Company
AKA:  Impire Shipping
AKA:  Impire Shipping Limited
Address:  Greece
 
Name:  Libra Shipping SA
AKA:  Libra Shipping
Address:  3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Monsoon Shipping Ltd
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Koning Marine Corp
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Blue Tanker Shipping SA
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Jupiter Seaways Shipping
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Hercules International Ship
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Hermis Shipping SA
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Garbin Navigation Ltd
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Grace Bay Shipping Inc
Address:  c/o of Libra Shipping SA, 3, Xanthou Street, Glyfada, Athens 16674, Greece
 
Name:  Sima General Trading Co FZE
AKA:  Sima General Trading & Industrials for Building Material Co FZE
Address:  Office No. 703 Office Tower, Twin Tower, Baniyas Rd., Deira, P.O. Box 49754, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
 
Name:  Polinex General Trading LLC
Address:  Health Care City, Umm Hurair Rd., Oud Mehta Offices, Block A, 4th Floor 420, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
 
Name:  Asia Energy General Trading (LLC)
Address:  Suite 703, Twin Tower, Baniyas Street, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
 
Name:  Synergy General Trading FZE
Address:  Sharjah - Saif Zone, Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, United Arab Emirates
 
Vessels:
 
Name:  Ocean Performer
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Liberia  
IMO Number:  9013749
 
Name:  Ocean Nymph
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Panama
IMO Number:  9180281
 
Name:  Nereyda
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Panama
IMO Number:  9011246
 
Name:  Zap
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Liberia  
IMO Number:  9005235
 
Name:  Seagull
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Liberia  
IMO Number:  9107655
 
Name:  Ulysses 1
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Liberia  
IMO Number:  9177155
 
Name:  Glaros
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Liberia  
IMO Number:  9077850
 
Name:  Leycothea
Vessel Type:  Crude Oil Tanker
Flag:  Panama
IMO Number:  9183934

DEPARTMENT OF STATE SANCTIONS

The Department of State also announced the imposition of sanctions on Dr. Cambis and Impire Shipping for disguising the Iranian origin of crude oil by concealing the control of a vessel by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC).

The United States also imposed sanctions on Kish Protection and Indemnity Club (Kish P&I), and Bimeh Markazi-Central Insurance of Iran (CII) for providing insurance or reinsurance to NITC. The Department of State is acting under the Iran Sanctions Act, as amended by the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (TRA), and the TRA.

The United States imposed a visa ban on the corporate officers of Impire Shipping, Kish P&I, and CII identified as:

Impire Shipping:

    Dimitris Cambis -President

Kish P & I:

    Mohammad Reza Mohammadi Banaei – Managing Director

CII:

    Seyed Mohammad Karimi – President
    Rahim Mosaddegh – Vice President
    Mina Sadigh Noohi – Vice President
    Esmaeil Mahdavi Nia – Vice President
    Seyed Morteza Hasani Aghda – Superintendent

Kish P&I provides insurance for NITC, the main carrier of Iranian petroleum. Kish P&I is reinsured by CII, thus CII is providing reinsurance services for NITC. U.S. law provides for sanctions on persons knowingly providing insurance or reinsurance for NITC.