The US has sanctioned an India-based network accused of providing fraudulent vessel registrations and maritime certifications to ships transporting Iranian oil.
The US Department of the Treasury said on 4 November that it had targeted Suniel Kumar Sharma and his spouse, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, over their alleged role in helping Iran’s shadow fleet evade international restrictions.
The Treasury said the Chandigarh-based couple had established false flag registries and maritime classification societies, allowing sanctioned vessels to operate under the identities of countries that had not authorised them.
Their network allegedly provided flagging services to vessels transporting Iranian petroleum, including ships operating on behalf of the Iranian military and its proxies.
Among the vessels identified by the Treasury were PING SHUN, LATTAFA, BINARY STAR and VERA. The network also allegedly provided fraudulent registrations linked to countries including Guyana, Aruba, Nicaragua and Sint Maarten.
The sanctions also target several India-based companies linked to the network, including Oceaniek Technologies India, Aryavart Ship Management, Polynesia Maritime and Precept Trends.
The Treasury warned that falsely flagged vessels may lack valid protection and indemnity insurance, potentially exposing coastal states to significant financial and environmental liabilities.
The action was taken under Executive Order 13902 as part of Operation Economic Outcast, a US campaign targeting networks supporting Iran’s petroleum and other sectors.
