SAN DAMIAN

The vessel has been involved in numerous cases of Ukrainian grain theft from the ports of Feodosia and Sevastopol (TOT of Ukraine) with its AIS signal turned off to Syria, Turkey, and Egypt via the Bosphorus Strait using the "traditional" scheme of concealing visits to Ukrainian ports in the TOT of Ukraine, as well as in the delivery of ilmenite from Bulgaria to the port of Sevastopol (TOT of Ukraine) for the Ukrainian plant "Crimean Titan" in TOT of Ukraine, which was seized by russia.
In 2015, the US imposed sanctions on three vessels of the Syrian state-owned company Syrian General Organization for Maritime Transport, including the vessel IMO 9274331).
Since December 17 and 23, the EU and Switzerland respectively have imposed sanctions on the vessel for facilitating/supporting actions/policies that undermine/threaten the economic existence or food security of Ukraine (e.g., transporting stolen Ukrainian grain, transporting stolen Ukrainian cultural property).
On June 30, 2025, the US lifted sanctions on the vessel.
According to GISIS IMO data as of November 7, 2025, the vessel's registered name is SAN DAMIAN, and its flag is marked as "Eswatini False".
Since 2023, the owner and commercial manager of the vessel has been Alhouda Holding Ltd, incorporated in the Seychelles, and the technical manager has been Levant Fleet Ltd (United Kingdom).
In 2020, Levant Fleet Ltd in the UK was owned by Taher Kayali (Syrian citizen), who is under sanctions by the US, UK, and EU for alleged maritime trade in captagon and amphetamine, the profits from which were a financial lifeline for Bashar al-Assad's regime. Taher Kayali was the director of Levant Fleet Ltd from August 2020 to April 2023. Kayali "left" the British company a week after the UK imposed sanctions against him, claiming that he was a "business magnate linked to the captagon industry" who was "linked to numerous captagon seizures, particularly in Europe." Although Kayali is no longer involved in the British company, records indicate that he is a director of a Panamanian company called Levant Fleet Ltd SA, whose executives have the same names as those at Levant Fleet Ltd (UK), suggesting a connection between the two companies.
In addition, the crew list of IMO 9274331 dated January 5, 2024, includes a company called Orient Fleet. Taher Kayali is the majority shareholder with a 99% stake in the Syrian company Orient Fleet Maritime LLC, founded in 2022. Another shareholder of Orient Fleet Maritime is Moaed Hani Walio, a person with that name is the secretary of Levant Fleet Ltd in the United Kingdom, which is currently listed as the technical manager of IMO 9274331. Orient Fleet Maritime LLC and Levant Fleet Ltd are also linked to Ahmad Al-Khanji, who is the director of both companies.
On November 25, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the vessel.
Since March 25, 2026, Canada has imposed sanctions on the vessel.