GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) says a chemical tanker, “Four Plus”, which was recently detained by Venezuelan authorities for unauthorised entry into that state’s waters was falsely flying the Guyana flag.

It said the vessel, bearing International Maritime Organization (IMO) No 9203930 “is not registered in Guyana; therefore, it is not authorised to fly the Guyana flag or claim Guyanese nationality”.

MARAD said it wanted to remind stakeholders and the public that it operates “a closed ships’ registry and does not offer a flag of convenience”.

It said recent media reports highlighted the sanctioning of five oil tankers linked to a Syrian conglomerate with ties to Iran and Venezuela by the United States Treasury Department, adding “these vessels also bore false registration documents”.

“The issues of fraudulently registered vessels and the operation of a global shadow fleet remain on the radar of the global maritime community. The IMO at the 112th Session of its Legal Committee, scheduled for March this year, is expected to develop further measures to prevent these unlawful practices,” MARAD said.