Wednesday, OFAC designated the following persons:
LAVRENKOV, Igor Valerievich (Cyrillic: ЛАВРЕНКОВ, Игорь Валерьевич), Surat Thani 84320, Thailand; Chaoyang District, Beijing, China; DOB 30 Jan 1974; POB Russia; nationality Saint Kitts and Nevis; alt. nationality Russia; Gender Male; Passport RE0028598 (Saint Kitts and Nevis); alt. Passport RE0013455 (Saint Kitts and Nevis); alt. Passport 51NO5354610 (Russia) (individual) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: PRIGOZHIN, Yevgeniy Viktorovich).
MANDEL, Andrei Sergeevich (Cyrillic: МАНДЕЛЬ, Андрей Сергеевич), St. Petersburg, Russia; DOB 02 Mar 1990; POB Germany; Gender Male; Passport 753615660 (individual) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: M INVEST, OOO).
POTEPKIN, Mikhail Sergeyevich, Sudan; DOB 29 Sep 1981; alt. DOB 19 Sep 1981; nationality Russia; Gender Male; Passport 651697952 (Russia) (individual) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: M INVEST, OOO; Linked To: MEROE GOLD CO. LTD.).
and entities:
M INVEST, OOO (Cyrillic: ООО М ИНВЕСТ), d. 76 korp. 4 litera A ofis N620, prospekt Obukhovskoi Oborony, St. Petersburg, Russia; Khartoum, Sudan; Tax ID No. 7811636632 (Russia); Government Gazette Number 06513574(Russia); Registration Number 1177847044066 (Russia) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: PRIGOZHIN, Yevgeniy Viktorovich).
MEROE GOLD CO. LTD., Al-jref Gharb Plot 134, Blok 1h, Khartoum, Sudan; Organization Type: Mining of other non-ferrous metal ores [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: M INVEST, OOO).
SHEN YANG JING CHENG MACHINERY IMP&EXP. CO., LIMITED (Chinese Traditional: 安營集團有限公司) (a.k.a. SHEN YANG JING CHENG MACHINERY IMPANDEXP. CO., LIMITED), Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong; Surat Thani 84320, Thailand; Beijing, China; Wan Chai, Hong Kong; Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; Central, Hong Kong; Identification Number 1328682 (Hong Kong) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: PRIGOZHIN, Yevgeniy Viktorovich).
SHINE DRAGON GROUP LIMITED (Chinese Traditional: 尚龍集團有限公司), Central, Hong Kong; Surat Thani 84320, Thailand; Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; Identification Number 1329358 (Hong Kong) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: PRIGOZHIN, Yevgeniy Viktorovich).
ZHE JIANG JIAYI SMALL COMMODITIES TRADE COMPANY LIMITED, Mong Kok, Hong Kong; Surat Thani 84320, Thailand; Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, China; Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong; Central, Hong Kong; Identification Number 1328910 (Hong Kong) [UKRAINE-EO13661] [CYBER2] [ELECTION-EO13848] (Linked To: PRIGOZHIN, Yevgeniy Viktorovich).
under its cyber-related, foreign interference in U.S. elections, and/or Ukraine/Russia-related sanctions programs.
And the State Department had something to say about some of these:
The United States Imposes Sanctions on Russian Financier’s Global Sanctions Evasion Network
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Today, the United States took action to further limit Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s destabilizing global activity by designating entities that have enabled his ability to evade sanctions – this time, in Sudan. These designations include Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner’s apparent cover entity in Sudan, M Invest, its subsidiary Meroe Gold, and their leaders, Andrei Mandel and Mikhail Potepkin. Prigozhin’s global malign activities are well-documented, as demonstrated by his designation under multiple U.S. sanctions authorities. Prigozhin serves as the financier of the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the Russian troll farm designated by the United States for attempts to interfere in U.S. elections, as well as the PMC Wagner, a U.S. designated Russian Ministry of Defense proxy force expanding Russian influence abroad.
Prigozhin relies on a network of front companies and facilitators, including three companies and an individual designated today based in Hong Kong and Thailand – Shine Dragon Group Limited, Shen Yang Jing Cheng Machinery Imp&Exp. Co, Zhe Jiang Jiayi Small Commodities Trade Company Limited, and Igor Lavrenkov. Between 2018 and 2019, these entities facilitated more than 100 transactions exceeding $7.5 million that were sent in the interest of Prigozhin.
Throughout the course of this financial activity, Lavrenkov was the director and owner of Shine Dragon Group Limited and also a director at Shen Yang Jing Cheng Machinery Imp&Exp. Co. and Zhe Jiang Jiayi Small Commodities Trade Company Limited.
Prigozhin’s role in Sudan highlights the interplay between Russia’s paramilitary operations, support for preserving authoritarian regimes, such as that of former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and exploitation of natural resources.
Today’s actions will further limit attempts by Prigozhin and his backers to foment disorder or undermine democratic reforms in Sudan.
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