The government of Comoros has begun a clean-out of its international flag registry which has been central to sanctions-circumventing dark fleet tankers shipping Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil. There are now 62 tankers, three liquefied petroleum gas carriers and one tug declared as falsely flying the Comoros flag, according to the EU’s Equasis database. Ships...
Greek-owned tankers shipped 16% of all Russian crude over August, with the EU and UK introduction of a lower price cap this month now sidelining any further involvement. Greek shipowners carried 27% of Russian crude in June, 20% in July, and 16% in August. The analysis is based on Windward data, compiled using figures from...
Deceptive shipping practices are tactics employed by bad actors to avoid detection and possible sanctions. But why are maritime stakeholders under the spotlight? The reason that regulators continuously shift increasing responsibility on due diligence towards the maritime ecosystem is because shipping plays a significant role in the global supply chain. This fact hasn’t been overlooked by regulators, as they. The recent advisory from U.S. authorities has, for the first time, detailed the responsibilities and expectations that private businesses connected to the maritime sector must adhere to.
OFAC numbered seven deceptive shipping practices that should be part of an effective compliance process. But simply knowing about them is not enough. How do you identify deceptive shipping practices with traditional matching tools? Well, you can’t. Bad actors today have become experts of their craft and the only way to keep up is with dynamic, AI-powered tools.
As trade sanctions increase, knowing which vessels you can safely do business with is of growing importance across the wider business environment. Today, it is not enough to “Know Your Customer” (KYC); you need to “Know Your Vessel” (KYV). And only strong tools are capable of identifying real-time risk factors at the vessel level.
We recently published a guide on exactly what executives need to know when it comes to deceptive shipping practices. Below are some key takeaways:
New decade, new standards – recent advisories published by U.S. and U.K authorities have raised the bar for players across the supply chain
Goodbye matching tools – Identifying deceptive shipping practices is drastically different from traditional sanctions list screening.
By analyzing vessel behaviors, organizations can proactively identify counterparties that may expose them to sanctions risk.
A sophisticated regulatory environment calls for a sophisticated solution. So what should you do? Onboard more tools and train more staff? The resulting costs and resources, without necessarily more accuracy, can outweigh the benefits. To help our partners manage at risk at scale, Windward automatically vets risk, while accounting for hundreds of risk factors in real-time.
Get the guide to learn more.
Featured posts
Risks & Compliance
Comoros Dark Fleet Purge Sees More Than 60 Tankers Listed as False Flagged
The government of Comoros has begun a clean-out of its international flag registry which has been central to sanctions-circumventing dark fleet tankers shipping Russian, Iranian and Venezuelan oil. There are now 62 tankers, three liquefied petroleum gas carriers and one tug declared as falsely flying the Comoros flag, according to the EU’s Equasis database. Ships…
Greek Tankers Cut Russian Crude Liftings as Lower EU and UK Price Cap Bites
Greek-owned tankers shipped 16% of all Russian crude over August, with the EU and UK introduction of a lower price cap this month now sidelining any further involvement. Greek shipowners carried 27% of Russian crude in June, 20% in July, and 16% in August. The analysis is based on Windward data, compiled using figures from…
From Cocaine to Cartels: What the Matthew TT Case Reveals About Maritime Ownership
A Quick Recap In September 2023, Irish authorities intercepted the MV Matthew carrying nearly €160 million worth of cocaine — the country’s largest ever drug bust. At the time, Windward highlighted how maritime AI™ helped connect the dots on the vessel’s suspicious movements. Now, new developments shed light on an even darker layer: links between…
The Intelligence Revolution at Sea: Why Imagery Alone Isn’t Enough Anymore
By Ami Daniel, Co-Founder & CEO, Windward A funny thing happened on the way to making the oceans safer: shipping became headline news. What was once “inside baseball” – now changed: terms like GPS spoofing, dark activities, and deceptive shipping practices now dominate mainstream media investigations. Presidents tweet about shipping daily. Supply chain disruptions make…
Navigate 2025’s Maritime Risk Landscape with Maritime AI™ at London International Shipping Week
As the global shipping community gathers for London International Shipping Week (LISW) 2025, one reality stands out: disruption is the operating environment, not the exception. The maritime ecosystem is under sustained pressure, and adapting to this high risk era is now a prerequisite for business continuity. From sanctions and signal interference to fraudulent documents and…
AI-Automated Document Validation: Streamlining Trade Against Real Maritime Activity
Global trade still runs on paper. Bills of Lading, certificates of origin, price attestations, and other documents remain the backbone of maritime trade, yet also its most persistent Achilles’ heel. Forged paperwork fuels fraud, delays compliance, and stalls cargo worth millions. Windward’s new AI-Automated Document Validation changes that, by cross-checking every document against what actually…
Navigate 2025’s Maritime Risk Landscape with Maritime AI™ at London International Shipping Week
As the global shipping community gathers for London International Shipping Week (LISW) 2025, one reality stands out: disruption is the operating environment, not the exception. The maritime ecosystem is under sustained pressure, and adapting to this high risk era is now a prerequisite for business continuity. From sanctions and signal interference to fraudulent documents and...
AI-Automated Document Validation: Streamlining Trade Against Real Maritime Activity
Global trade still runs on paper. Bills of Lading, certificates of origin, price attestations, and other documents remain the backbone of maritime trade, yet also its most persistent Achilles’ heel. Forged paperwork fuels fraud, delays compliance, and stalls cargo worth millions. Windward’s new AI-Automated Document Validation changes that, by cross-checking every document against what actually...
From Risk Platform to Collaborative Ecosystem: Reducing Friction in Chartering
By Ami Daniel, Co-Founder & CEO, Windward When we founded Windward.ai in 2010, we were a small startup of engineers and maritime experts using AI to bring order to chaotic oceans. Today, with nearly 300 customers — including governments, shipowners, energy firms, insurers, and traders — our Maritime AI™ platform influences billions in daily trade....
From AI Products to an AI Company: Windward’s Internal Gen AI Journey
By Ami Daniel, Co-Founder & CEO, Windward At Windward, we’ve always believed in staying ahead of the curve. But with Gen AI, the curve isn’t just shifting—it’s exploding. This isn’t just another tech wave. It’s a fundamental rewiring of how we operate, build, and scale. So we made a clear decision: AI isn’t a feature....
Building the Gen AI Future Through Strategic Partnerships
By Ami Daniel, Co-Founder and CEO, Windward The Shifting Sands… Geopolitical risks seemingly spring out of nowhere, with few expecting the ragtag Houthi militia to shut down major global waterways for a long period, for example. Regulatory shifts, such as OFAC’s latest advisory and the White House’s changing stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, add to...
