WILLEMSTAD – At least 22 vessels around the world are still falsely claiming to be registered in Curaçao, according to maritime data from S&P Global dated September 18. Together with vessels claiming unauthorized registrations in Aruba and Sint Maarten, 54 ships are currently making improper use of flags or registrations associated with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The latest figures show 22 vessels claiming Curaçao registration, 20 claiming Aruba and 12 claiming Sint Maarten.
The total is lower than at the beginning of the year, when the Netherlands reported 77 vessels using fraudulent Kingdom registrations to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). However, the decline does not necessarily mean the problem is disappearing.
Ships associated with international shadow fleets frequently change their names, owners, flags and claimed registrations. Fraudulent registrations can also disappear from international databases once they have been identified.
That volatility was illustrated by figures from Lloyd’s List published just two days before the S&P Global data. Lloyd’s List identified 59 vessels falsely presenting themselves as registered in Aruba, Curaçao or Sint Maarten, including 24 claiming Curaçao registration. More than half of the 59 vessels were reportedly operating in the Gulf region.
The Dutch Coast Guard has been tracking vessels sailing under fraudulent Kingdom flags since last year. When suspicious ships enter Dutch waters, authorities can request registration and insurance documents. If a vessel fails to respond, a Coast Guard aircraft can be deployed where possible, while the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate can examine documents that are provided.
Unlike Aruba and Sint Maarten, Curaçao maintains an international ship register. Vessels legitimately entered in that register acquire Kingdom nationality and are entitled to fly the Kingdom flag. Registration and supervision in Curaçao fall under the Maritime Authority of Curaçao.
However, according to information previously provided by the Dutch government, there were no oil tankers in Curaçao's official register last year. This means tankers claiming Curaçao registration without actually appearing in the register are using fraudulent documentation.
The problem has increasingly been linked to the international shadow fleet used to circumvent sanctions and regulatory scrutiny. Previous investigations identified dozens of tankers associated with Russian and Iranian oil trades using fraudulent registrations connected to Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
Curaçao's Security Service previously reported that at least 20 vessels were falsely using Curaçao registration, placing the island among the flag registrations particularly affected by this type of fraud.
The figures show that despite international attention and efforts to identify fraudulent registrations, Curaçao's name continues to be used by vessels that have no legitimate connection to its ship registry.