US charges Iranians over alleged collusion with Greek shipper
LOS ANGELES – US prosecutors charged 10 Iranian nationals on Friday over an alleged long-running scheme to dodge US sanctions on Tehran by disguising $300 million in transactions, including the purchase of two oil tankers.
Defendants include Seyed Ziaeddin Taheri Zangakani, Abbas Amin, Salim Henareh and Khalil Henareh who are charged with using a Hong Kong-based front company to quietly buy two $25-million oil tankers on behalf of Iran from a Greek businessman in 2012.
The Greek businessman, who is not named in the documents, was later sanctioned by the US for using Iranian money to acquire oil tankers and to help Iran ship crude oil in violation of US and European Union sanctions.
In 2013 the US government imposed sanctions on Greek shipbroker Dimitris Cambis for his alleged role in purchasing and operating eight tankers using Iranian funds. [Reuters]
