The Chief Minister of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar confirmed that early on July 4, 2019, Gibraltar Port and Law Enforcement agents, assisted by the Royal Marines, had boarded and detained a super tanker, because the government had reason to believe that the vessel, Grace 1, was carrying Iranian-origin oil to the Banias Refinery in Syria, in violation of European Union Regulation 36/2012 (sanctions on Syria). The Banias Refinery is owned by the Syrian government, which is subject to European union sanctions. On July 5th, the detention of the ship was extended by order of the Gibraltar Supreme Court for 14 days.
Gibraltar Gov. press release (4 July 2019) |