The Maritime Administration Department of Guyana on Tuesday (14 January) said chemical tanker Four Plus, bearing IMO No. 9203930, which was recently detained by Venezuelan authorities for unauthorised entry into that State’s waters was falsely flying the Guyana flag. 

The department said the vessel is not registered in Guyana; therefore, it is not authorised to fly the Guyana flag or claim Guyanese nationality.

“MARAD wishes to remind stakeholders and the public that it operates a closed Ships’ Registry and does not offer a flag of convenience,” it said in a social media post. 

It added that recent media reports highlighted the sanctioning of five oil tankers linked to a Syrian conglomerate with ties to Iran and Venezuela by the United States Treasury Department. These vessels also bore false registration documents.

“The issues of fraudulently registered vessels and the operation of a global shadow fleet remain on the radar of the global maritime community,” it added.

“The IMO at the 112th Session of its Legal Committee, scheduled for March this year, is expected to further develop measures to prevent these unlawful practices.”

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Peter Beentjes
Published: 20 January, 2025

Selangor Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Wednesday (1 January) detained a cargo ship for anchoring without permission about 26 nautical miles southwest of Sekinchan at 1.40pm on 31 December.

Selangor MMEA director Maritime Captain Abdul Muhaimin Muhammad Salleh said the ship was detected on the Malaysian Maritime Sea Surveillance System (Swasla) in Klang and was detained by a MMEA patrol boat during an operation at Selangor waters. 

The vessel was believed to have been travelling from Singapore to India with 22 male crew members onboard including a captain. 

All crew members were Chinese nationals and aged between 28 and 63, who held valid identification documents. 

Further investigation found that the ship's captain failed to submit any authorisation document of to anchor in Malaysian waters.

The case is being investigated under Section 491B (1) (l) of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which carries a fine of not more than MYR 100,000 or a jail term of not more than two years, or both, for anchoring without permission.

An arrest warrant on the vessel was issued and two crew members have been taken to the Selangor State Maritime Headquarters for further investigation.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 3 January, 2025

Maritime insurer Japan P&I Club on Monday (23 December) reported Istanbul-based maritime consulting firm Kalimbassieris Maritme A.S (KM) alerting vessels calling at any port in Turkey should ensure that accurate declarations are made regarding the quantity of bunker oil.

The update from KM highlighted an increasing trend of Turkish Customs recently increasing unexpected inspections onboard vessels calling Turkish ports. The authorities were checking the quantities of bunkers onboard, in comparison with the declared ones by the ships’ command at the arrival at the port.

An excerpt from the document is as follows:

Once a bunker discrepancy is established by Customs, for the vessel to be permitted to sail, Authorities will order the confiscation of the excess quantity of the bunkers by physical removal from the vessel’s tanks. Upon service of the confiscation order issued by judicial authorities to the Master and/or agents the physical removal of excess bunkers from vessel’s tanks will be undertaken by the Authorities. 

Considering the complexities of a physical removal of bunkers from the vessel in terms of delays/costs/operation, payment of excess bunkers’ value to the Treasury is the common and preferred method for both vessel’s interests and the authorities. The amount paid to the Treasury serves as ‘collateral’, so that the vessel may be allowed to sail by the Authorities. In most cases, the Authorities initially proceed with obtaining a confiscation order from the relevant criminal court, and upon submission of lawyers’ pleading concerning deposition of collateral instead of confiscation, payment from vessel’s interests is accepted. In practice, the Customs office issues a writ indicating the required fine/security amount to be paid to the designated account upon which payment can be made in order to release the vessel. 

Editor’s note: The 3-page document covering practical implications, legal aspects and considerations can be obtained in its entirety from the link here.

Related: Turkey: Spike in customs officials scrutinising bunker quantities on board
Related: Gard: Turkey – a case of undeclared bunker fuel

Source: Japan P&I Club
Photo credit: Meriç Dağlı on Unsplash
Published: 24 December 2024