A shipwreck in India, an ammunition seizure in Senegal, and a raid on an oil tanker in Malaysia – all three incidents contain ageing vessels, working with false papers and one recurring determine: Captain Suniel Kumar Sharma.
For over a decade, Sharma has been condemned by the governments of Dominica, Guyana, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Eswatini, in addition to the UN Worldwide Maritime Organisation (IMO), for issuing fraudulent paperwork to vessels, together with false flag certificates.
In a current interview with the Monetary Instances, Sharma stated his most outstanding flag registry, the Worldwide Maritime Security Company of Guyana (IMSAG), was not operational. Nevertheless, a Bellingcat investigation has discovered certificates issued by IMSAG as lately as December 2025. In the identical interview, Sharma denied establishing any extra registries. But Bellingcat has discovered proof of a newly launched web site linked to Sharma providing flag registration in Nicaragua.
In June 2020, a hurricane off the Indian coast compelled the 38-year-old oil tanker, MT Basra Star (IMO 8515817), to run aground. Regardless of an insurance coverage inspector’s report recommending her fast demolition, the vessel remained for 5 years, rusting away on the seashore, till she was lastly scrapped in January this 12 months.
The insurance coverage report states Basra Star was crusing below a Samoan flag and its classification society (the corporate that certifies the vessel as seaworthy) was Ascent Navals.
Two years earlier than MT Basra Star ran aground, the Samoan authorities and the IMO issued a warning a few fraudulent firm known as Ascent Navals, and its director, Captain Suniel Kumar Sharma, for showing to function on behalf of Samoa, however with out official authorisation.
By crusing below a false flag (Samoa False) and a fraudulent classification society (Ascent Navals), when the worst-case state of affairs did happen, no jurisdiction (flag state) was legally accountable for the marooned ship.
Bellingcat contacted the vessel’s house owners, Shat Al Arab Marine Provide LLC, the insurance coverage surveyors, Uday Bhogate & Associates, and Ascent Navals and its director, Suniel Kumar Sharma. None responded to requests for remark.
Practically two years after Basra Star was shipwrecked, one other ageing vessel, Eolika (IMO 8214968), was discovered working below a false flag whereas laden with illicit cargo. On the port of Dakar, Senegalese customs officers boarded the 39-year-old cargo ship and found three hid containers of ammunition, reportedly value US$5.2 million. Eolika was flying a false Guyana flag.
In an open letter, the IMO, along with the Guyana authorities, denounced the flag below which Eolika was crusing as false. They warned of a fraudulent firm, the Worldwide Maritime Security Company of Guyana (IMSAG), for flagging vessels with out authorisation from any flag state. Guyana’s police pressure stated it might examine “this rogue enterprise led by Captain Suniel Kumar”, along with Interpol.
There isn’t a suggestion that Sharma or IMSAG took half within the transport of illicit items.
The IMO warning was issued in response to IMSAG supplying false paperwork, which then permits vessels to function with out oversight. Flying a false flag for a registry that doesn’t exist voids any insurance coverage, dangers crew security and threatens environmental hurt, as seen with the Basra Star.
Nevertheless it’s not simply Sharma’s corporations supplying false papers. Final 12 months, maritime consultants at Windward recognized 285 worldwide tankers falsely flagged by 18 totally different fraudulent registries. The bulk have been sanctioned vessels, which generally hunt down false flags to evade restrictions. Nevertheless, based on Lloyd’s Record Intelligence, it was Guyana’s fraudulent registry which grew to become the first port of name for sanctioned tankers seeking to hop flags.
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Seized off the coast of Malaysia earlier this 12 months, the sanctioned tanker Nora (IMO 9237539) switched to a false Guyana flag issued by IMSAG on February 1, 2025. Nora and a second sanctioned tanker, Rcelebra (IMO 9286073), have been caught by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Company (MMEA) engaged in an unauthorised ship-to-ship switch.
Each captains and 53 members of the crew have been detained. The cargo of crude oil was valued at greater than RM512 million (US$130 million), based on the MMEA.
Nevertheless, inside days, each tankers have been launched. Fined the utmost penalty of RM300,000 (US$76,000) for an unauthorised ship-to-ship switch, the MMEA acted to implement Malaysia’s environmental and maritime security legal guidelines, however not Worldwide and UN sanctions. Requested if this was inside its remit, the MMEA didn’t reply to our request.
There isn’t a indication that Sharma or IMSAG knowingly issued flags to legal actors. However by offering false paperwork, the IMO warn that fraudulent flag registries are enabling high-risk vessels to proceed working.
The promise of funding and the signing of an MoU
Essential to understanding how IMSAG has continued to function as a fraudulent registry for therefore lengthy is that it was as soon as professional.
Again in 2021, Guyanan media described how IMSAG was making investments of US$35 million, creating lots of of jobs, and setting up a state-of-the-art coaching facility – all offered as a strategy to develop Guyana’s maritime business.
Sharma additionally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Guyana’s Maritime Ministry. However lower than six months later, Guyana quietly terminated all preparations with Sharma and his corporations.
While the MoU was in impact, IMSAG had served as Guyana’s official worldwide ship registry. The area imsag.org was used to register and flag vessels on its behalf. However after the MoU was terminated, as an alternative of shutting the corporate down, IMSAG continued to function with out Guyana’s authorisation. A redacted model of the MoU continues to be stay and being promoted on IMSAG’s web site.
In a current interview with the Monetary Instances, Sharma confirmed he had arrange a ship registry in Guyana, however stated it had been “discontinued” after the authorities withdrew consent. He additionally stated the area imsag.org was “not operational simply informative”.
Bellingcat lately downloaded 230 vessel certificates for 87 ships from imsag.org, together with the sanctioned tanker lately seized by the Malaysian authorities, Nora.
Counter to Sharma’s claims that IMSAG was not operational, all 230 certificates discovered by Bellingcat have been issued nicely after the MoU was terminated in March 2021, together with some as lately as December 2025. Of the 87 licensed vessels 63 have been oil tankers, with a median age of 24 years. Diana 1 (IMO 9212229), for instance – a 26-year-old oil tanker final seen in Libya – was issued a certificates by IMSAG on June 26 2025.
In line with Equasis information, Diana 1 hopped to a false Guyana flag on July 1 2025.
Neither Sharma nor IMSAG responded to our request for remark concerning our findings that IMSAG had continued issuing certificates as lately as December 2025, regardless of Guyana having terminated the MoU and withdrawn its authorisation.
For a full listing of the 87 vessels, together with certificates and particulars of our strategies, click on under to broaden:
See full certificates listing and methodology
The desk under lists all 87 vessels and 230 certificates that Bellingcat discovered data for on imsag.org. Hover over every certificates for particulars, or click on to see an archived screenshot. Every vessel’s flag historical past has been pulled from the maritime database Equasis to match when the vessels switched to the Guyana flag and after they have been issued a certificates from IMSAG.
Strategies:
The IMSAG web site allowed customers to look utilizing both a “Certificates Quantity” or an “Official Quantity.” The search returned details about a vessel, together with the dates on which certificates have been issued. Whereas these certificates numbers weren’t publicly disclosed, Bellingcat discovered a seafarer certificates through a Google seek for “web site:imsag.org filetype:pdf”, which locates PDFs hosted on IMSAG’s web site. By altering the URL to search for ship certificates as an alternative, imsag.org returned a vessel certificates for the oil tanker, Tranquilus.
Bellingcat then examined sequential variations of certificates and official numbers, returning 230 certificates issued by IMSAG. As not all certificates numbers have been sequential, this index represents solely a partial view of IMSAG’s current exercise.
Increasing Operations in Nicaragua
In Sharma’s interview with the Monetary Instances, he denied he was establishing any extra registries and stated he had left the maritime sector fully. But Bellingcat has discovered proof of a brand new registry with hyperlinks to Sharma that seems to offer flag registration in Nicaragua.
In July 2025, the area niataregister.com was launched, selling the Nicaragua Worldwide Aquatica Transportation Administration (NIATA).
The web site is energetic. Bellingcat discovered a certificates issued as lately as February 2 for the sanctioned tanker and member of the shadow fleet, Al Jafzia (IMO 9171498, sanctioned below the identify Chil 1).
In line with maritime monitoring information, on February 6, whereas crusing below a false Aruba flag, the Al Jafzia was detained by the Indian Coast Guard for an illicit ship-to-ship switch of Iranian oil. On February 11, the vessel started broadcasting below a Nicaraguan flag, itemizing its house port as Corinto, Nicaragua’s largest port. The MMSI quantity may be seen within the certificates under.
Regardless of a number of requests, the Nicaraguan authorities didn’t reply to our questions as to whether or not they had heard of NIATA or had any official partnership with the corporate.
In line with the IMO’s GISIS database, Nicaragua has not permitted any organisation to concern flags on its behalf. The IMO additionally confirmed on to Bellingcat that Nicaragua had supplied no additional data past what was seen in GISIS on the time of publication.
Bellingcat downloaded all publicly obtainable kinds from NIATA’s web site. Analysing doc metadata revealed the creator of the paperwork as ‘Oceaniek Applied sciences’.
Navigating to the Oceaniek Applied sciences homepage (proven under), below the headline ‘Our Merchandise’ 11 corporations have been promoted in a looping carousel up till August of final 12 months. It now options solely 5, spanning a variety of industries, together with a cricket league, a hospital and streaming companies.
The managing director of Oceanik Applied sciences, based on his personal LinkedIn, is Suniel Sharma. Sharma has additionally been photographed by native Indian media, cited because the “MD of Oceanik Applied sciences”.
Additionally among the many 11 corporations promoted up till August of final 12 months have been the Nautilus Instances and Nautilus Register.
Selling vessel classification companies, Nautilus Register, seems as an entity of curiosity in OpenSanctions on account of its ties with a number of sanctioned vessels, together with members of the shadow fleet. Sharma’s personal LinkedIn lists him because the Director Basic of the Nautilus Register.
Bellingcat confirmed nautilusregister.internet continues to be energetic, issuing classification certificates as lately as January 2026 (proven under). The IMO instructed Bellingcat that Nautilus Register will not be listed as a recognised organisation of their database, GISIS.
A seek for the second firm, Nautilus Instances, led to an internet site providing dozens of coaching programs, from cadetship to firefighting, in addition to competency coaching.
Competency coaching is a requirement for all seafarers. Crew members could attend a course in any jurisdiction, but it surely’s then as much as the flag state (the nation during which the vessel is registered) as as to whether that coaching is recognised.
In line with the Nautilus Instances web site, a crew member can enrol in any one in all six jurisdictions, as proven under, together with Guyana and Nicaragua.
After contacting all six jurisdictions, the official Maritime Administration Division (MARAD) of Guyana confirmed that Nautilus Instances was not authorised to concern certificates to seafarers on their behalf. They reiterated that that they had no relationship with Nautilus Instances or Sharma. St Maarten has beforehand stated that it doesn’t have a global flag registry and due to this fact doesn’t concern competency certificates. No different jurisdictions replied to our request.
Bellingcat contacted each the Nautilus Instances and Sharma to ask why the positioning was promoting programs on behalf of Guyana and St Maarten with out their authorisation. Neither replied to our request for remark.
Lastly, two extra corporations embedded within the carousel on Oceaniek Applied sciences’ homepage, however deleted after August 2025, have been the MSTA Registry and Aruba Maritime.
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The MSTA Registry was cited in a warning issued by St Maarten and the IMO in Could 2025 for issuing false flags to vessels below the guise of St. Maarten. Aruba Maritime was sanctioned by the European Union in October 2025 for fraudulently issuing oil tankers with false Aruba flags.
Neither Oceaniek Applied sciences nor Sharma responded to our request for remark concerning the character of those corporations’ connection to Oceaniek Applied sciences.
As sanction enforcements proceed to broaden, so too will the variety of vessels looking for illegitimate paperwork from fraudulent registries corresponding to IMSAG. Regardless of legal prices being filed, warnings being issued, and investigations being revealed, Sharma’s operation continues – now seemingly having expanded into Nicaragua and with the obvious formation of a bigger community, Oceaniek Applied sciences.
Merel Zoet and Claire Press contributed to this report.
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