The government of Saint Maarten has issued a strong warning against fraudulent operations falsely promoting an international flag registry and the issuance of seafarer papers in its name. Working with the International Maritime Organization and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Saint Maarten clarified that it does not operate an international flag registry or issue seafarers’ documents for vessels over 500 gross tons. The Ministry identified online entities such as Maritime Safety & Technical Administration (MSTA) and IMS Registry as sources of fake credentials and is urging maritime stakeholders to verify documents through official channels. This crackdown follows similar incidents in other nations and highlights the growing problem of shadow fleets and false flag registrations in global shipping.

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