Mauritius under US scrutiny for Sanction Busting
12/05/2025
The US Treasury Department recently put Mauritius under the international radar, sanctioning a company registered in the country for its alleged involvement in financing the Houthis in Yemen.
Mauritius-based Bagsak Shipping Inc. was targeted for using the Panamanian-flagged vessel Maisan to deliver a diesel cargo to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa after a special US licence expired on 4 April 2025.
The US State Department press release says:
- Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping Inc facilitated gas oil delivery to the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa port using the Panama-flagged Maisan.
- The Maisan finished discharging its cargo and departed Ras Isa on April 8, four days after OFAC’s GL 25A expiration.
- The Maisan has also exported Russian crude oil and petroleum products from ports since February 2023.
- The Maisan was previously managed by a company that was one of the top players in the shadow tanker fleet involved in exporting Russian crude oil and petroleum products in the face of Western sanctions.
- https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0113
The move puts Mauritius in a delicate position as the country strives to maintain its reputation as a financial centre that wishes to be seen as in line with international standards.
The United States claims that the Maisan has also been transporting Russian oil products since 2023, raising additional concerns about the role of some Mauritian entities in high-risk operations.
Washington warns that any direct or indirect support for the Houthis, classified as a terrorist group, will be severely punished.
Source
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As well as owning and publishing Comsure's copyrighted works, Comsure wishes to use the copyright-protected works of others. To do so, Comsure is applying for exemptions in the UK copyright law. There are certain very specific situations where Comsure is permitted to do so without seeking permission from the owner. These exemptions are in the copyright sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended)[www.gov.UK/government/publications/copyright-acts-and-related-laws]. Many situations allow for Comsure to apply for exemptions. These include 1] Non-commercial research and private study, 2] Criticism, review and reporting of current events, 3] the copying of works in any medium as long as the use is to illustrate a point. 4] no posting is for commercial purposes [payment]. (for a full list of exemptions, please read here www.gov.uk/guidance/exceptions-to-copyright]. Concerning the exceptions, Comsure will acknowledge the work of the source author by providing a link to the source material. Comsure claims no ownership of non-Comsure content. The non-Comsure articles posted on the Comsure website are deemed important, relevant, and newsworthy to a Comsure audience (e.g. regulated financial services and professional firms [DNFSBs]). Comsure does not wish to take any credit for the publication, and the publication can be read in full in its original form if you click the articles link that always accompanies the news item. Also, Comsure does not seek any payment for highlighting these important articles. If you want any article removed, Comsure will automatically do so on a reasonable request if you email info@comsuregroup.com.