WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao has been listed as the sixth most abused flag state in the world, as ships increasingly use the island’s flag to evade international sanctions. According to the Curaçao Security Service (VDC), at least twenty tankers falsely sailed under the Curaçao flag in 2024, many of them transporting Iranian oil. Some of the shipping companies involved are suspected of having ties to terrorist organizations.

The large-scale fraud is part of the so-called Russian “shadow fleet,” which uses flags from smaller jurisdictions—including those of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten—to bypass international restrictions.

Foreign Affairs Minister Van Weel confirmed that all tankers currently sailing under the Curaçao flag and carrying Curaçaoan ship certificates are fraudulent. None of these vessels are officially registered in Curaçao’s maritime registry. The minister stressed that the Netherlands is working closely with European partners to implement stricter measures, including port bans for vessels suspected of operating under false flags.

The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard is also stepping up enforcement. In August, two vessels sailing under false Aruban flags were inspected and confronted about their violations. The ships were then escorted part of the way through the Exclusive Economic Zone.

The government is now considering additional measures, such as tighter inspections of vessels operating under fraudulent flag registrations, in an effort to curb the misuse of Curaçao’s maritime identity.