US sanctions subjects a ‘surprise’ for Malta police

The police were caught unawares when the US Treasury named former footballer Darren Debono and three other Maltese in a new round of sanctions targeting oil smugglers in Libya, sources within the force said. “We did not know these sanctions would be issued. The American authorities did not make any contact with us over the matter,” they admitted. The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control on Monday issued economic sanctions aimed at blocking the exploitation of natural resources driving instability in Libya. It said it was sanctioning six people, 24 companies and seven vessels to prohibit Americans from engaging with those targeted and freeze any related property under US jurisdictions. Darren Debono, Gordon Deb-ono, Roderick Grech, Fahmi Ben Khalifa, Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan Arafa and Terence Micallef were listed because of their alleged involvement in the smuggling of petroleum products from Libya to Europe. The action also targets 21 companies the US says are owned or controlled by Darren Debono and Gordon Debono and another three companies that are suspected of being involved in the illicit exploitation of crude oil or any other natural resources in Libya, including the...