A lawful disposal route could permanently remove sanctioned vessels from illicit maritime trade.

US-Sanctioned Tankers Head to Alang for Responsible Recycling.

GMS, the world’s largest buyer of ships and offshore vessels for recycling, has acquired two sanctioned Aframax tankers, Era and Lileo, from the US government for responsible recycling in Alang. The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued vessel-specific licences on August 8, allowing the ships to proceed to recycling at Hong Kong Convention-compliant yards. Both tankers came under US government control following enforcement action linked to the transportation of sanctioned Venezuelan crude oil. GMS said no payment was made to the previously sanctioned owners and that the company’s transaction was conducted directly with the US government. The development highlights how regulated ship recycling can provide a lawful end-of-life solution for seized or sanctioned vessels. By permanently dismantling such ageing ships, the process can remove physical transport capacity from illicit maritime networks while supporting India’s position as a major global ship recycling hub.