By Sohaib Shams
The Russian owner of a seized oil tanker has accused the U.S. government of selling the vessel to a scrap dealer for a fraction of its value in a move designed to block the company’s legal effort to reclaim the ship. Burevestmarin LLC, owner of the tanker formerly known as the Bella 1, filed court papers alleging the Justice Department conducted an “economically irrational” sale behind closed doors.
Seizure and Alleged Iranian Oil
The Bella 1 was seized by the U.S. military in the North Atlantic in early January after a weekslong chase on the high seas. U.S. authorities said the ship was carrying illegal Iranian oil and was fleeing an American blockade of Venezuela. Attorneys for Burevestmarin dispute the claim that the vessel was transporting Iranian oil.
Sale Price Dispute
The tanker was sold to a maritime scrap dealer for $9.1 million, according to the owner’s lawyers. They argue that price is well below the $21 million the ship would fetch as scrap metal alone, and that the vessel has “substantially greater value” as an operating commercial vessel.
Legal Challenge and Government Response
The Justice Department was ordered to respond to the allegations by 9 a.m. Friday. In court filings, the owner’s lawyers wrote that the government acted in its own convenience while withholding notice to known interested parties. Representatives for the Justice Department and the scrap dealer named in court documents could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday.
