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Sanctioned tankers released by Malaysia
The 'Nora' and 'Rcelebra', which were detained by Malaysia off Penang for suspected illegal ship-to-ship crude transfers worth US$129.9 million 24 nautical miles west of Muka Head, have been released again by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). The captains were arrested and handed over to Penang investigators for anchoring without permission and conducting illegal transfers. The 'Rcelebra' was heading south through the Malacca Strait near Port Dickson, before transiting the Singapore Strait low in the water, suggesting it remained fully loaded, while the 'Nora' was sailing westbound north of Aceh. The tankers were carrying sanctioned Iranian oil bound for China. The 24-year-old 'Nora', which was sanctioned by the US in 2020, has been linked to NITC and flagged falsely to Guyana. Its classification and insurer were unclear. The 'Rcelebra', built in 2005, is flagged with Cameroon, owned by Capital Flat Intl Trading in Hong Kong and operated by the Agility Trading, being on the EU Ukraine sanctions list and classed with the Dubai-based Royal Classification Society.
Tankers caught red-handed during illegal STS off Malaysia
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Maritim Malaysia) of Penang State has detained the 'Rcelebra' for an illegal STS transfer to the 'Nora' (IMO: 9237539) 24 nautical miles west of Muka Head, Penang on Jan 29, 2026. One of the vessels appeared to have been operating in the shadows for nearly a decade. The other, tanker has emerged as a notorious, shadowy vessel that has its last inspection listed as 2018. The owners were listed as unknown, and the flag was falsely listed as Guyana. Ot was only able to transfer about 78 % of the crude before the STS was discovered. The Penang State Maritime patrol boat received a complaint regarding the tankers at anchor and suspected of carrying out oil transfer activities. An unspection found that the two ships were in a coupled condition during crude oil transfer activities involving 53 crew members of Chinese, Myanmarese, Iranian, Pakistani and Indian nationalities. The value of the seized crude oil was more than RM512 million, while the value of the seized tankers was RM718 million. The case was investigated under Section 491B (1)(l) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which is anchoring without the permission of the Director General of Marine, Malaysian Marine Department, which carried a penalty of RM100.000, and Section 491B (1)(k) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which carried out ship-to-ship transfer activities without the permission of the Director General of Marine Department, Malaysian Marine Department (JLM), which carries a penalty of RM200.000 on both vessels. The two captains of the ships andthe vessels involved have been arrested and handed over to the Penang State Maritime investigating officer for further action in accordance with the provisions of the law. After highlighting the seizure and investigations, the ships appeared to have quietly slipped away. The 'Nora' was empty and cleared the Malacca Straits heading into the Indian Ocean “for orders.” The 'Rcelebra' was east of the Singapore Straits. The assumption was that it was transporting the oil cargo to China. Report with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/tankers-sail-off-after-malaysia-finds-them-cojoined-and-stops-illegal-sts
New location for STS transfer of Russian oil
Under pressure from Greece’s navy, traders of Russian oil have found a new place to switch cargoes of crude in the Mediterranean sea near the city of Nador at the eastern end of Morocco’s coast. Since May, Greece’s navy has been holding naval exercises in a location where the trade had been taking place in a attempt to deter it. The new location is close to the Spanish-run enclave Melilla, raising the prospect that Madrid might repeat steps it took to block similar activity 140 miles to the west, near its other enclave Ceuta. Those measures ultimately stopped the practice. The 'Rolin' was s receiving Urals crude from the smaller tanker 'Serendi' (IMO: 9296810). It was the first time that the STS transfer of the grade has taken place there. Two more Aframax-class ship, the 'Ocean AMZ' and 'Sea Fidelity' — have also arrived. All three loaded about 730,000 barrels of Urals from Russia’s Baltic sea port of Primorsk.
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