The US Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Monday 6 individuals, 24 companies and 7 vessels over smuggling, selling, buying or exporting fuel from Libya.

The individuals are one Libyan by the name Fahmi Ben Khalifa, one Egyptian and four Maltese nationals, according to the OFAC.

The sanctions are aimed, according to the OFAC order, to prohibit Americans from engaging with those targeted and to freeze any related property under US jurisdictions.

The US Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, said the department is taking action to expose and end fuel smuggling and other illicit activities by those who are exploiting Libyan oil, petroleum products, and other natural resources for their own personal gain.

“We are disrupting this illicit and destabilizing activity by isolating the individuals, companies, and vessels engaged in oil smuggling from the global financial system.” He explained.

The Libyan Ben Khalifa was arrested by Tripoli-based Special Deterrent Force and detained in its jails over fuel smuggling from Libya to Europe.

The sanctions targeted 21 companies for being owned or controlled by Darren and Gordon Debono, Maltese nationals, and three additional companies for being involved in the illicit exploitation of crude oil or any other natural resources in Libya, including the illicit production, refining, brokering, sale, purchase, or export of Libyan oil.

Since 2011, Libya has been suffering from continuous illicit trades of its oil products that end up smuggled to neighboring countries and via the Mediterranean to Malta, Italy and other southern European countries.