Sweeping U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran’s oil and shipping network on July 30 are the most extensive since 2018 and focus on the shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, widely known in trading circles as “Hector”. The Office of Foreign Asset Control package added 62 vessels to the sanctions list for shipping Iranian oil,...
A US-sanctioned tanker transmitting its flag as the fraudulent Curaçao registry is now spoofing its location in Indonesia’s territorial waters. The tanker sailed into the area on July 16, indicating the navigational status as “at anchor” and then began location (GNSS) manipulation to obfuscate its true location. It then went dark on July 22, and...
From Brexit, to refugees, to spillovers from the Syrian and Libyan civil wars – there’s plenty to keep Europeans up at night. And these are just the things we can see. What about the stuff we can’t?
The second edition of our European Threat Map reveals some of the anomalies found when applying AI-driven, behavioral analysis to vessels, enabling organizations – such as Frontex and Italy’s Guardia di Finanza – to anticipate threats, and stay ahead of their adversaries.
Amid the drug smuggling, human trafficking and sanctions evasion detected, there are a number of key findings, including:
The Black Sea is significantly riskier than the Mediterranean; there are about three times as many “risky” vessels visiting the Black Sea vs the Med.
Despite EU sanctions on Syria and Crimea, commercial shipping activities continue to take place in the waters around these territories, indicating probable sanction evasions.
In Europe, Guernsey and Romania have the highest proportion of incorporated companies whose vessels display “risky” behavioral patterns.
Over the previous year, 42 vessels displayed patterns of behavior similar to ships caught with drugs on board.
Stay tuned for threat maps for other parts of the world. For now, stay safe!
Download a PDF of the map
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In the Spotlight
Largest Iranian Shipping Network Sanctioned in Sweeping OFAC Crackdown
Sweeping U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran’s oil and shipping network on July 30 are the most extensive since 2018 and focus on the shipping empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, widely known in trading circles as “Hector”. The Office of Foreign Asset Control package added 62 vessels to the sanctions list for shipping Iranian oil,…
Sanctioned Tanker Spoofs Location in Indonesian Waters Transmitting Fraudulent Flag
A US-sanctioned tanker transmitting its flag as the fraudulent Curaçao registry is now spoofing its location in Indonesia’s territorial waters. The tanker sailed into the area on July 16, indicating the navigational status as “at anchor” and then began location (GNSS) manipulation to obfuscate its true location. It then went dark on July 22, and…
When Compliance Fails Upstream: Lessons from Maritime Supplier Crackdowns
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Unprecedented Maritime Compliance Challenges Emerge from EU’s 18th Sanctions Package
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EU-Sanctioned Tanker Uses Fraudulent Malawi Flag to Transit Suez Canal
A high-risk tanker that was transmitting the fraudulent flag registry of Malawi transited the Suez Canal on July 18, in breach of the Suez Canal Authority’s rules of navigation. Malawi is designated as a fraudulent registry by the International Maritime Organization, which lists the EU- and UK-sanctioned tanker Night Glory (IMO 9319674) as falsely flagged….
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