GUYANA’S FLAG CAUGHT IN INTERNATIONAL SHIP FRAUD SCANDAL – HGPTV – Guyana’s Nightly News and Entertainment Channel

HGP NIGHTLY NEWS – Guyana’s national flag has been at the centre of an international maritime fraud operation, with an India-based couple now facing United States sanctions over their alleged involvement in a network that falsely registered vessels under the Guyanese flag.

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has welcomed the sanctions imposed by the US Department of the Treasury against Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid.

According to MARAD, the couple played key roles in a network that falsely represented vessels as being registered in Guyana through an entity operating under the name International Maritime Safety Agency of Guyana, or IMSAG.

The agency was not authorised to register vessels on Guyana’s behalf.

The alleged scheme allowed ships to use the Guyanese flag without legitimate registration, raising serious concerns about maritime security, international shipping standards and the integrity of the country’s ship registry.

MARAD warned that such practices could expose Guyana’s maritime identity to criminal activities and attempts to evade international sanctions.

The Department said the Government has been raising concerns about fraudulent vessel registration at regional and international maritime forums.

In July 2026, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar highlighted the problem during a maritime security and sanctions enforcement symposium in Antigua and Barbuda.

His presentation, titled Fraudulent Registration: Guyana’s Perspective, examined the misuse of the country’s ship registry and efforts to address the problem.

The issue was again raised during the recently concluded 56th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Shipping Association, hosted in Guyana.

MARAD and the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation have now thrown their support behind the US Treasury’s sanctions against the couple and their associated entities.

The Department says Guyana will continue working with international maritime authorities and enforcement agencies to prevent fraudulent registrations and protect the country’s flag from being used to facilitate unlawful activities.