A major Indian seafarers' union on Friday received a response from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to its letters about the risk of fake documents.
The two letters from the Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI)—dated October 16 and 21—had also flagged issues with the use of flags of convenience (FOCs), repatriation of deceased seafarers and medical assistance for those injured at sea, especially in attacks on commercial ships.
"The IMO has reaffirmed its commitment to seafarer safety, protection and welfare, highlighted the humanitarian consequences of delays in repatriating mortal remains, and drawn attention to its work on ship-registration guidelines intended to strengthen due diligence and combat fraudulent registrations," the UN agency said in its response, as per the FSUI.
At the centre of the FSUI's two letters were also five recent examples of vessels whose crew members—and their families—faced terrible issues due to their shipowners using fake registry and insurance papers.
It highlighted how these risks were amplified when such ships operated in war zones.
The 'Settebello'
This Palau-flagged crude oil tanker was hit on June 9 by Hellfire missiles from a US aircraft over alleged violations of the US Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz at the time, as it had reportedly been carrying Iranian oil. It was one of many commercial ships attacked that week.
The families of crew members who died in the attack are still fighting for compensation from the shipowner after it was later revealed that fake protection and indemnity (P&I) documents were used to get the tanker into the Palau registry and continue operations.
The case of Jugwinder Singh Brar and 3 sanctioned ships
Three sanctioned oil tankers—the Al Jafzia, the Asphalt Star, and the Stellar Ruby—were linked to Dubai-based shipowner Jugwinder Singh Brar after their seizure in February in connection with an alleged “oil smuggling racket” involving ship-to-ship transfers.
A TradeWinds report pointed out that the police probe into the case had revealed that the Stellar Ruby had been using not only a fake P&I certificate, but also other false documents, and had already unloaded bitumen cargo at an Indian port.
It added that the Al Jafzia had also used forged papers to enter a recycling centre at Gujarat's Bhavnagar.
“Nothing illegal has been proven," the shipowner said, labelling the fake papers claim as "pure bullsh*t".
The death aboard the 'Celestial Sea'
With this Aruba-flagged tanker, things were different. This ship saw the death of an Indian seafarer onboard due to a lack of medical support, as it crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
With IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez's response to the FSUI now on record, it is yet to be seen how the global maritime body will respond to the Indian union's call for "appropriate action"—especially at a time when seafarers are facing growing risks due to multiple conflicts in a tense geopolitical environment.
