India cracks down on shadow fleet tankers bypassing sanctions
Tanker Maximus in India (Photo: Getty Images)
New Delhi will tighten control over vessels involved in circumventing international trade sanctions, having decertified more than 200 tankers and other vessels over the past three years, according to Reuters.
The tankers will be inspected by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass), one of the world's leading ship safety certification bodies.
Being removed from its registry is likely to make it harder for a vessel to obtain insurance and potentially access ports.
According to data from 2023 onward, IRClass, based in Mumbai, has removed 235 vessels from its register — most of them oil tankers and several gas carriers — said the organization's head, Arun Sharma.
According to him, there were previously several ships in the registry that had come under Western sanctions, but now IRClass has a very comprehensive sanctions policy.
"From almost 2023 onwards, we are not taking any ships which have any sanctions, whether it is U.S. or European or UK sanctions," Sharma said, referring to Western sanctions against Russia and Iran imposed because of the war and Tehran's nuclear program.
India-Russia cooperation
India remains one of the largest buyers of Russian oil since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. However, recently New Delhi has become increasingly cautious about deals that could violate Western sanctions.
In particular, the country has refused to purchase Russian LNG from projects that are under US restrictions.
Earlier, Indian authorities also tightened requirements for tankers entering its ports, and some vessels carrying Russian oil have already faced restrictions due to a lack of proper certification.
