Press Statement: US Department of Treasury sanctions against the network responsible for fraudulent use of the Guyana Flag

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), an agency within the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, welcomes the sanctions imposed by the United States Department of the Treasury against India-based  Suniel Kumar Sharma and his wife, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, for their involvement in a criminal network responsible for perpetuating maritime fraud against Guyana and several other nations.

Sharma and Shahid are instrumental in managing a network that fraudulently represented vessels as being registered in Guyana through a company namedof thefraudulent International Maritime Safety Agency of Guyana (IMSAG), thereby facilitating the unauthorised use of the Guyana flag. Such fraudulent activities undermine the integrity of national ship registries and compromise maritime security.

The Government of Guyana remains resolute in its efforts to detect, prevent, and eliminate the fraudulent use of its national flag. This matter has been consistently raised at international and regional maritime and shipping forums as  part of Guyana’s sustained  advocacy for stronger cooperation and more effective measures to combat fraudulent vessel registration.

In July 2026, at the Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Symposium hosted in Antigua and Barbuda, the Honourable Deodat Indar,  Minister  of Public Utilities  and Aviation, presented  a case study titled Fraudulent Registration: Guyana’s Perspective,  highlighting the nature and implications of fraudulent registration and the measures  being pursued by Guyana to address  the problem. The issue  was again reinforced at the recently concluded  56th Annual General Meeting of the Caribbean Shipping Association, hosted in Guyana.

MARAD, and the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, fully supports the actions taken by the United States Department of the Treasury against Suniel Kumar Sharma, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, and their identified associated entities.

Guyana remains committed to collaborating with international partners, maritime administrations, and relevant  enforcement  agencies  to  safeguard  the  integrity of  its  ship  registry, uphold international maritime standards,  and ensure that its national flag is not exploited to facilitate criminal activity or circumvent international sanctions.statement

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