Tankers fraudulently using Guyana’s flag sanctioned by US – MARAD 

Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said recently that the United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned five oil tankers that are reportedly owned by a Syrian conglomerate and were fraudulently using Guyana’s flag.

See below the full release issued by MARAD: 

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) wishes to share the facts in relation to information shared in a recent Capital News video report.

The story claims that five oil tankers registered under the Guyana Flag, linked to a Syrian conglomerate company in Iran and Syria, and connected to Venezuela were sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department. These ships are not registered in Guyana; thus, they are false and fraudulent registrations.

Guyana, through MARAD operates a closed registry. Therefore, the registration of vessels under the Guyana flag is limited to ships owned by Guyanese nationals, residents, citizens of Caribbean Community states (CARICOM), and corporate bodies established under the laws of Guyana. None of the purported owners falls into any of these categories.

Since 2021, incidences of false Guyana registrations have come to the fore. The perpetrators of this fraud have targeted several countries including Guyana, Panama, and regional states. The Maritime Administration Department and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs continue to share information on these false registrations which come into our possession, with all United Nations (UN) member states and relevant regional and international maritime associations.

The sanctions being applied by the United States of America, the United Kingdom and other Western States are part of the said response to the threats posed by these false registrations.

The Government of Guyana makes it pellucid that there is no sinister plot afoot to operate or have a separate ship registry and Guyana does not, has not, and will not offer a flag of convenience for vessels. In this regard, it continues to take steps to protect the sovereignty and integrity of Guyana.