NEW DELHI: Two Indian individuals and three companies operating from India have been put on the sanctions list that was released earlier this month by Washington for collaborating with Russia.
The five sanctioned under Section 11 of Executive Order 14024 (Blocking Property With Respect To Specified Harmful Foreign Activities of the Government of the Russian Federation) are Surya Visesh Dutta, Sharda Subramaniam, and three companies: Innoedge Cloudserve Private Limited, based in Block C, Sushant Lok Phase 1, Gurugram; Mavasal Impex Private Limited, located at Plot No. 11, Sector 33, Gurugram; and Polar Star Logistics, which has several offices worldwide, including one at Cardinal Gracious Road, Chakala, Andheri East, Mumbai.
Dutta’s address, as per the order, is in Purvi Marg, New Delhi, while Sharda has two offices as per the US Treasury Department—one in Janakpuri, Delhi, and the other in D Block, Phase-1, Sushant Lok, Gurgaon.
The two individuals, Dutta and Subramaniam, have been sanctioned for their alleged links with Swiss-Italian businessman Walter Moretti.
In February 2023, in one of its most significant sanctions in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on 22 individuals and 83 entities, including Moretti.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), under the US Department of the Treasury, operates its sanctions programs, which lead to blocking assets and trade restrictions on individuals and companies to accomplish foreign policy and national security goals.
Surya Vishesh Dutta, as per Indian records, along with another individual, Siddharth Singh, is the promoter of ASVS Defence Private Limited, which has its office in Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi.
Sharda Subramaniam is the director of multiple companies, including Igep Consult Private Limited, Rugmark Foundation, Indo-Asia Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, Designa India Private Limited, and Igep Foundation.
Innoedge Cloudserve Private Limited has two directors, Jitender and Naveen. Apart from Innoedge, Jitender is currently associated with four companies and is a director with JCH Auto Components Private Limited, BLC Shyam Freight Private Limited, Jai Balaji Trans Logistics Private Limited, and BLC Freight Private Limited. He was previously associated with two companies, Cargoes Lotus Global Express Private Limited and Balaji Lines Private Limited. Naveen is a director with Itlogic Solutions Private Limited, apart from Innoedge.
Mavasal Impex Private Limited has two directors, Subramonyan Srikanth and Debabrata Mukherjee.
The other company that has been sanctioned is Polar Star Group, which has been named as Polarstar Logistics by the US Treasury. It is a logistics company based in Mumbai that offers freight and shipping solutions as well as logistics services.
As per OFAC’s February 2023 directions, Moretti and his network of associates and companies were covertly procuring sensitive Western technologies and equipment for Russian intelligence services and the Russian military, including hydraulic presses, armament packages, and armour plating. They were also alleged to be procuring equipment for Russia’s nuclear weapons laboratories for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation. Others who were sanctioned along with Moretti were German national Markus Gerhard Mueller, Swiss nationals Ronald Eric Cosman and Bruno Koller, as well as the Switzerland-based company Swisstec 3D AKUS AG, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Moretti.
The Sofia, Bulgaria-based company, Taerio International LTD and the Saint Petersburg, Russia-based company Interpolytrade Limited Company, owned or controlled by Mueller, were also sanctioned.
Moretti also used his UAE-based companies, Taerio Limited and Tamyna FZE, in his covert procurement schemes. Also sanctioned was a Malta-based company, Stratton Investment Group LTD, owned by Taerio Limited.
Swiss-Italian national Frederic Pierre Villa, who along with Moretti is on the board of directors of Stratton Investment Group LTD, was also sanctioned. Similarly, the Switzerland-based company Tamyna AG, which is accused of sending numerous large wire transfers to Moretti’s company, Taerio Limited, was also designated. Swiss nationals Hans-Peter Bomatter and Lutwin Schommer, senior officials at Tamyna AG, too were sanctioned.