Notorious Dark Fleet VLCC Ends Colourful Career on Bangladesh’s Beaches
One of the world’s most notorious dark fleet VLCCs has closed a chapter in its history under its last and final name, Era, at the Chattogram shipbreaking yard. The 2002-built VLCC Era, better known until recently as Marinera and before that Bella 1, had resurfaced under the Comoros flag after another change of identity. Public tracking data showed the destination as Chaguaramas in Trinidad & Tobago. Now the ship’s life has ended in Bangladesh under its last name, Era, its eighth name.
The ship’s recent history has been anything but quiet. On June 12, Avtandil Kalandadze, the former master of Bella 1, pleaded guilty in Washington DC to failing to obey a lawful order to heave to a US Coast Guard cutter. According to US authorities, Kalandadze was master of Bella 1 from September to late December 2025, during which time the vessel transported around 1.8m barrels of Iranian-origin oil to Asia while using sanctions-evasion tactics, including AIS dark activity and concealing the vessel’s name during ship-to-ship transfers.
US Authorities Seize Tanker in North Atlantic
The case escalated in December 2025 when Bella 1 was intercepted by the US Coast Guard off Venezuela. Rather than comply, the vessel fled across the Atlantic, with the pursuit ending on January 7, 2026, when US authorities seized the tanker in the North Atlantic. During the chase, the ship was renamed Marinera and reflagged to Russia, a move US officials argued did not change its legal status. US vice president JD Vance later described the ship as a “fake Russian oil tanker” that had pretended to be Russian in an effort to avoid sanctions.
Ship’s Final Days: A Huge Discount for Bangladesh
Sources say it was sold at a huge discount by the US for $205 per ldt. For comparison, GMS’s latest report notes that tankers are fetching $535 per ldt in Bangladesh and that buying appetite remains healthy, particularly in Bangladesh, although the persistent shortage of available candidates continues to prevent stronger sentiment from translating into fresh transactions.
Era’s Legacy: A Chapter Closed
The ship’s life has ended in Bangladesh under its last name, Era. Its final days were marked by a significant discount, a testament to the vessel’s notorious past and its ultimate fate as a scrapyard candidate. The story of Era serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges surrounding sanctions evasion and the ongoing efforts to combat it.
Original Article: Notorious dark fleet VLCC ends colourful career on Bangladesh’s beaches — Splash247