M SOPHIA

The VLCC tanker is involved in the transportation of Iranian, Venezuelan, and russian crude oil.
In particular, the vessel is involved in STS transshipments from tankers carrying sanctioned Iranian or Venezuelan crude oil at anchorages near Malaysia and China.
The tanker was purchased from DHT Tankers and is affiliated with an anonymous Chinese buyer who spent approximately $376 million to acquire a group of 13 tankers for high-risk transportation of russian crude oil in the Atlantic Ocean. Among these 13 tankers are seven VLCC vessels, five Aframax vessels, and one Suezmax vessel. The vessels were purchased by an anonymous buyer through 20 separate but interrelated one-ship shell companies from Hong Kong and China.
Subsequently, all but one of the tankers were involved in transshipment of wet cargoes in international waters, in areas 860 nautical miles west of Portugal.
The registered owners, commercial managers, and technical managers of this group of tankers have almost identical registration addresses in Dalian (PRC) and two identical addresses in Hong Kong.
This group of tankers is considered a hub for the transshipment of russian crude oil to the PRC in the mid-Atlantic.
Logistical STS hubs allow to hide the ownership and origin of cargo.
The tanker, considered to be part of the shadow fleet, is affiliated with SUNNE CO LIMITED, which was sanctioned by the US on January 10, 2025, for its activities in the russian energy sector.
On January 10, 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on the vessel as property in which SUNNE CO LIMITED has an interest.
Since September 12, 2025, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions as part of restrictions on the russian shadow fleet.
In November 2025, Canada imposed sanctions on the vessel.
On January 7, 2026, the US military (US Southern Command) intercepted and detained tanker IMO 9289477 in international waters in the Caribbean Sea. At the time of detention, the tanker was fully loaded with approximately 1.8-2 million barrels of Venezuelan crude oil of the Merey grade. At the time of detention, the tanker was also listed as "stateless" due to its sanctioned status. As of January 10, 2026, the vessel was heading for the US coast under the escort of the US Coast Guard.