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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the designation of 24 shipping companies affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and two entities that are subordinates of Iran’s Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO). Today’s actions build on Treasury’s efforts to expose the financial and corporate underpinnings of IRISL and AIO, two entities that face international sanctions for their involvement in Iran’s missile programs. The actions respond to continuing efforts by Iran to evade sanctions and its ongoing creation and use of new front companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, and other deceptive measures to protect IRISL and AIO and to advance its proliferation activities. “IRISL is under tremendous financial pressure from international sanctions, and it is going to extreme lengths to obscure its network and the ownership of vessels,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Stuart Levey. “Today’s designations expose the latest in a string of deceptive measures Iran is taking to continue its illicit conduct.” AIO is a subsidiary of Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL), the arm of the Iranian military that oversees its ballistic missile program, and oversees all of Iran’s missile industries. AIO was listed in the Annex to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382 in June 2005. The Department of State designated MODAFL pursuant to E.O. 13382 in October 2007, and Treasury designated IRISL in September 2008 pursuant to E.O. 13382 for providing logistical services, including facilitating shipments of military related cargoes for to MODAFL. Pursuant to E.O. 13382 – which is aimed at freezing the assets of proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters, thereby isolating them from the U.S. financial and commercial systems – Treasury today designated:
- Four Hong Kong based shipping companies –Starry Shine International Limited, Ideal Success Investments Limited, Top Glacier Company Limited, and** Top Prestige Trading Limited**– for beingowned and managed byAhmad Sarkandi and Ghasem Nabipour, two individuals designated by Treasury in October 2010 for acting for or on behalf of IRISL.
- Sixteen shipping companies, each based at the same address in Hong Kong, for being owned or controlled by IRISL or affiliated entities.In late 2009,these sixteen companiesbecame the owners of a series ofvessels, each of which is already identified on OFAC’sSpecially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons Listas blockedproperty tied to IRISL, that were previously owned by the four Hong Kong companies listed above.
- Fourshipping companies that share their Isle of Man registered addresses with eight previously-designated shippingcompanies wholly-owned by IRISL, for being owned or controlled by IRISL or IRISL front companies.
- Shahid Ahmad Kazemi Industries Group, asubordinate to AIO that is responsible for the development and production of surface-to-air missiles. It is suspected of soliciting foreign technology for Iran’s missile programs andparticipating in North Korea’s missile-related programs. North Korea has provided significant assistance to Iran in its development of ballistic missiles and missile technology.
- M. Babaie Industries, also linked to Iran’s WMD proliferation efforts and suspected of soliciting foreign technology for Iran’s missile programs, was designated for being owned or controlled by, or actingfor or onbehalf of AIO. Identifying Information: Entity: STARRY SHINE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED Address: RM B 12th Floor Two Chinachem Plaza 135 Des Vouex Rd C, Central District Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Entity: IDEAL SUCCESS INVESTMENTS LIMITED Address: RM B 12th Floor Two Chinachem Plaza 135 Des Vouex Rd C, Central District Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Entity: TOP GLACIER COMPANY LIMITED Address: RM B 12th Floor Two Chinachem Plaza 135 Des Vouex Rd C, Central District Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Entity: TOP PRESTIGE TRADING LIMITED Address: RM B 12th Floor Two Chinachem Plaza 135 Des Vouex Rd C, Central District Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong Entity: ALPHA EFFORT LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: SANDFORD GROUP LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: SMART DAY HOLDINGS GROUP LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: SYSTEM WISE LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: LOGISTIC SMART LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: NEW DESIRE LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: ADVANCE NOVEL LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: CONCEPT GIANT LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: PARTNER CENTURY LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: SINO ACCESS LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: TRUE HONOUR HOLDINGS LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: BEST PRECISE LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: GREAT METHOD LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: NEUMAN LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: SACKVILLE HOLDINGS LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: TRADE TREASURE LIMITED Address: 15th Floor Tower One Lippo Center 89 Queensway, Hong Kong Entity: LOWESWATER LIMITED Address: Manning House, 21 Bucks Road Douglas, IM1 3DA, Isle of Man Entity: MILL DENE LIMITED Address: Manning House, 21 Bucks Road Douglas, IM1 3DA, Isle of Man Entity: SHALLON LIMITED Address: Manning House, 21 Bucks Road Douglas, IM1 3DA, Isle of Man Entity: SPRINGTHORPE LIMITED Manning House, 21 Bucks Road Douglas, IM1 3DA, Isle of Man Entity: SHAHID AHMAD KAZEMI INDUSTRIES GROUP Address: Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran, Iran Entity: M. BABAIE INDUSTRIES AKA: Shahid Babaie Industries AKA: Shahid Babaie Industries Complex AKA: Shahid Babaii Industries Co. Address: P.O. Box 16535-176; Tehran 16548, Iran