Caribbean Island of St. Maarten Warns of Flag and Seafarer Document Fraud

The government of the independent nation of Saint Maarten in the Caribbean has become the latest to warn of fraudulent operations promoting its supposed international flag registry and the issuance of seafarer papers. It reports that it has been working with the International Maritime Organization and the Kingdom of the Netherlands to warn of these fraudulent representations and to firmly declare these operations are not authorized or associated with the country.

“Our integrity is not for sale, and our flag will not be misused,” declared Grisha Heyliger-Marten, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport, and Telecommunications for the Country St. Maarten. She warns that St. Maarten does not operate an international flag registry nor does it issue seafarers’ papers, documents, or ship certificates for vessels exceeding 500 gross tons.

The Equasis database currently lists 20 vessels as falsely displaying the flag of Saint Maarten. It includes a 160,000 GT crude oil tanker, a 114,000 GT LNG carrier, and a total of 16 tankers. There is also one bulker claiming to be flagged in the country.

St. Maarten reports that it first became aware of this fraud nearly five years ago when a concerned seafarer from India questioned the authenticity of his certificate. The individual told the government he had experienced difficulties verifying the legitimacy of the documents and became suspicious.

The Ministry reports it launched an investigation and immediately notified the Government of the Netherlands. Also working with the IMO and the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding organization, an international warning went out to MOU member states and flag states around the world.

“The Ministry deeply regrets the losses incurred by innocent seafarers who, through no fault of their own, have been misled and financially harmed by these deceptive operations. We are committed to pursuing every legal avenue and collaborating with international partners to eradicate these fraudulent activities and seek justice against those responsible,” Heyliger-Marten says in the government statement.

The Ministry highlights the websites of two companies, Maritime Safety & Technical Administration (MSTA) and IMS Registry, as examples of online sites offering services for the purported registry. The Ministry says its investigation identified that “fraudulent certificates and documents” were being issued, and it declares, “These organizations falsely claim authorization from or association with Country St. Maarten.”

It further reports that the Netherlands escalated the matter with U.S. authorities. The U.S. authorities it says confirmed that the MSTA Registry “had fraudulent links to St. Maarten, Belize, and California.”

St. Maarten has continued its campaign against the fraud by alerting the IMO. It is also urging all seafarers, employers, and maritime stakeholders to verify credentials through official channels and to contact St. Maarten’s Maritime Affairs Office if there are any doubts or questions.

This is the latest example of countries reporting that their identity is being used improperly. In 2022, Equatorial Guinea reported it was also launching a crackdown on fraudulent ships. The rise of the so-called shadow fleet has also seen an increase in false flag reports. After the U.S. sanctioned five tankers in December 2024 that claimed registry in Guyana, the country’s government issued a denial, reporting it does not operate an open registry. It said only companies and individuals in Guyana can apply for its registry and denied any association with the tankers.