WorldVerified
US sanctions Chandigarh couple for selling fake flags and certificates to Iran-linked oil tankers
Treasury says Suniel Kumar Sharma and Jaspreet Preeti Shahid ran a network that helped Iran’s shadow fleet evade restrictions; reports differ on how many others were named.
The US Treasury has sanctioned a husband and wife based in Chandigarh, Suniel Kumar Sharma and Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, saying they ran a network that sold fake ship flags and maritime certificates to vessels carrying Iranian oil, The Maritime Executive and Insider Paper reported on Wednesday.
What Treasury alleges
- Sharma and Shahid created false "flagging authorities" and certification bodies that claimed to act for countries that had never authorised them, according to The Maritime Executive.
- Treasury said they claimed to represent nations on several continents, which let Iran's "shadow fleet" of tankers get around international restrictions, Insider Paper reported.
- The network allegedly began as early as 2014, when the couple tried to pass themselves off as Dominica's flagging authority, and set up a registry using the name of Eswatini in 2023, The Maritime Executive said. Eswatini authorities have publicly disavowed that registry, the outlet added, though it reportedly still flags vessels carrying Iranian petroleum.
- Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control also issued an alert warning the shipping industry about the sanctions risk of dealing with potentially falsely flagged vessels.
Who else was named
The two reports do not agree on the full list. The Maritime Executive counts four designations, naming the couple, Aryavart Ship Management Private Limited and the Eswatini registry. Insider Paper says two other Indian nationals and a number of companies were also covered. BDT is not giving a total until Treasury's list is checked.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said: "As we have said many times, under Operation Economic Outcast, you are either with us or against us," according to Insider Paper. The programme, announced on 24 August, aims to cut off Iran's oil revenue.
What is not yet known
Neither report carries a response from Sharma, Shahid or the Indian government. These are US government allegations, and the sanctions are an administrative action, not a criminal conviction.
BDT will update this story when the full Treasury list or a response is available.
How we verified this
VerifiedThe couple’s names, the Chandigarh base and the false-flag allegations are consistent across The Maritime Executive and Insider Paper, which relay the US Treasury action of 4 November; BDT could not open the Treasury press release itself. The outlets differ on how many other people and companies were designated (Maritime Executive: four designations in total, including Aryavart Ship Management Private Limited and the Eswatini registry; Insider Paper: two other Indian nationals and a number of companies), so BDT gives no total. These are US government allegations; no court has found anyone guilty. No Indian government response had been read.
Sources
- 1.US Sanctions False Flag Network Run from India Used for Iranian Shipping — The Maritime Executive
- 2.US sanctions Indian companies over alleged maritime fraud aiding Iran — Insider Paper
