Indian-based couple tied to fraudulent use of Guyana flag on vessels sanctioned by US Government

The United States Department of State has sanctioned an Indian based couple, Suneil Kumar Sharma and his wife Jaspreet PreetI Shahid, over their involvement in a criminal network that has been found to be responsible in maritime fraud that involved fraudulently using Guyana’s flag and the flag of other nations on various vessels. The network would fraudulently register international vessels under the flags of Guyana and other countries, while having no authority to conduct any such registration.

The US sanctions were announced on Wednesday, and have been welcomed by the Maritime Administration Department of Guyana.

In a statement, the Maritime Administration Department noted that such fraudulent activities undermine the integrity of national ship registers and compromise maritime security.

The statement added that the Government of Guyana remains resolute in its efforts to detect, prevent, and eliminate the fraudulent use of its national flag.

The matter has been consistently raised at international and regional maritime and shipping events as part of Guyana’s sustained advocacy for stronger cooperation and more effective measures to combat fraudulent vessel registration.

In July 2026, at the Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Symposium hosted in Antigua and Barbuda, the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, presented a case study titled “Fraudulent Registration: Guyana’s Perspective”.

It highlighted the nature and implications of fraudulent registration and the measures being pursued by Guyana to address the problem.

MARAD said the issue was again reinforced at the recently concluded 56th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Shipping Association, which was hosted in Guyana.

MARAD, and the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation say they fully support the actions taken by the United States Department of the Treasury against the Indian based couple and their identified associated entities.

It was noted that Guyana remains committed to collaborating with international partners, maritime administrations, and relevant enforcement agencies to safeguard the integrity of its ship registry, uphold international maritime standards, and ensure that its national flag is not exploited to facilitate criminal activity or circumvent international sanctions.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login