U.S. Sanctions India Maritime Network and Turkish Services Firm

The U.S. Treasury on November 4 sanctioned an India-linked maritime-registration network and Turkey-based Fugo Ground Services Inc., alleging that they supported Iranian oil shipping and airlines. The measures target Indian national Suniel Kumar Sharma, his wife Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, two other Indian nationals, nine linked Indian entities and Fugo, the department said. Treasury accused Sharma and Shahid of operating unauthorized ship registries and issuing false flags and maritime certifications to vessels carrying Iranian oil. The department said some of the ships served Iran’s military or its proxies. The allegations have not been independently established in the reporting, and no response from the designated parties was included. Treasury said the couple’s alleged activity dated back to at least 2014, when they sought to impersonate Dominica’s ship-registration authority. It said Sharma established the Singapore-based Eswatini Maritime Affairs and International Ship Registry in 2023. Websites associated with the network offered vessel registration, seafarer training and certification, and classification services while claiming to represent governments that had not...