US Treasury Sanctions Indian Nationals for Using Guyana's Flag to Shield Iran's Shadow Fleet

According to Kaieteur News, the Government of Guyana has welcomed sanctions issued by the United States Department of the Treasury against Indian national Suniel Kumar Sharma and his spouse, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid. These sanctions stem from allegations that the couple was involved in a criminal network that supported Iran’s shadow fleet through a fraudulent vessel registration scheme, falsely claiming ships were registered in Guyana and other jurisdictions.

MARAD issued a statement on Wednesday expressing its welcome for the sanctions, noting that the Government of Guyana remains dedicated to detecting, preventing, and eliminating the fraudulent use of its national flag. MARAD stated that this issue has been consistently raised at international and regional maritime and shipping forums as part of Guyana's ongoing advocacy for stronger cooperation and more effective measures to combat fraudulent vessel registration.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that under Operation Economic Outcast, the US will sanction those who continue to support the Iranian regime across land, sea, or air, as the US knows where they are. The Treasury Department explained that the false flags and fraudulent maritime certifications provided by the couple allowed vessels engaged in illicit activities to bypass international regulations intended to ensure crew safety and protect the marine environment.

Furthermore, the Treasury Department warned that vessels falsely flagged lack valid protection and indemnity insurance, meaning Iranian shadow fleet vessels operating under fraudulent flags could potentially inflict billions of dollars in damages on the economies of countries in whose territorial waters they operate. The department reported that Sharma and Shahid had used their base in Chandigarh, India, for years to defraud maritime regulatory administrations across various jurisdictions. Sharma and Shahid reportedly posed as representatives of countries on nearly every continent, including Guyana, Eswatini, and Laos. Their activities reportedly began in 2014 with an alleged attempt to impersonate the vessel registration authority of Dominica.

MARAD has observed the unacceptable trend of unauthorized use of the Guyana Flag by vessels not registered in Guyana. In July 2026, during the Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Symposium in Antigua and Barbuda, Deodat Indar, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, presented a case study titled Fraudulent Registration: Guyana’s Perspective, detailing the nature and implications of fraudulent registration and Guyana's countermeasures. This issue was also addressed at the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Shipping Association, held in Guyana.

MARAD and the Ministry of Public Utilities fully support the actions taken by the United States Department of the Treasury against Suniel Kumar Sharma, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, and their identified associated entities. The statement indicated that Guyana is committed to collaborating with international partners, maritime administrations, and relevant enforcement agencies to protect the integrity of its ship registry, uphold international maritime standards, and ensure its national flag is not exploited for criminal activities or to circumvent international sanctions.

Minister Indar recently called on Caribbean nations to collaborate in eradicating dark fleet operations, cautioning that national flags are being used for illicit activities, such as transporting weapons and sanctioned oil. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Caribbean Shipping Association conference, Minister Indar characterized dark fleet operations as a "black stain on maritime authorities."

Indar emphasized that the misuse of national flags could harm the reputation of nations and their maritime administrations, stating that no nation would wish to be associated with such matters. He stressed the necessity of regional cooperation to address the problem, asserting that Caribbean nations must work together to eliminate it, noting that Guyana itself has been affected by dark fleet operations.

MARAD clarified in April that the oil tanker Majestic X, which was seized by US forces in the Indian Ocean while transporting Iranian oil, is not and has never been registered in Guyana. MARAD confirmed that the vessel was fraudulently flying the Guyana flag because there was no record of the ship or its previous name in the national registry. MARAD stated that because the ship is not registered in Guyana, the registration is false and fraudulent, even though the IMO number remains recorded in the international database as PHONIX, and there is no record of this vessel or name in Guyana’s registry.

Similarly, in December 2025, MARAD raised concerns regarding the escalating practice after a US-sanctioned oil tanker falsely flying the Guyana flag was seized by US authorities off the coast of Venezuela. The Government of the United States of America had notified Guyanese authorities that the motor tanker SKIPPER (formerly ADISA), IMO 9304667, was intercepted in international waters while falsely displaying the Guyana flag, and the vessel was not registered in Guyana.