By Al-Fassel | 2026-05-22

Ukrainian intelligence exposed Seaguard P&I as a fraudulent front company issuing fake insurance certificates to vessels in the global Dark Fleet.

This discovery highlights a critical, quiet threat to international maritime security and stability across vital waterways, including the strategic Suez Canal.

These sham insurance operations confirm deep-seated intentions for sanctions evasion among operators moving sensitive, often sanctioned, oil cargoes worldwide.

Seaguard P&I falsely claimed German registration, borrowing its name from a legitimate Nigerian service to confuse global regulators and clients.

Suspicious digital footprint

Further investigations revealed a highly suspicious digital footprint linking Seaguard P&I to a suspended website and an irrelevant Swedish phone number.

This specific number connects to "Maritime Solutions Networld", which positions itself as a Lebanese company from Tripoli, allegedly providing ship registration services.

The website published a second contact number belonging to Mohammad Youssef, a Syrian national claiming conflicting work and residency experience across Greece, Sweden, and Lebanon.

The alleged companies directly mirrored the established pattern of the Ro Marine shell-company scheme, operating with illegitimate insurance documents.

Ro Marine's sanctions evasion operations extend far beyond merely Russia-related crude oil shipments.

The P&I club insured ten vessels linked to Hossein Shemkhani, the son of a sanctioned Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) weapons trafficker.

Sanctions evasion

Before its website takedown, Seaguard prominently listed sanctioned vessels, explicitly confirming its central role in intentional sanctions evasion for the global Dark Fleet.

Documented users include a tanker called Deyna, recently seized by French authorities, and Paz tanker, known for transporting sanctioned Russian and Venezuelan oil.

Genuine Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Insurance clubs are vital for covering environmental and third-party liabilities during maritime incidents, ensuring adequate financial responsibility.

The Seaguard fraud undermines the necessary trust in maritime insurance, leaving the global community exposed to catastrophic and unrecoverable losses.

The strategic Suez Canal is essential for global energy trade and is a major economic resource for Egypt, supporting thousands of local workers.

An accident in a crucial chokepoint, such as the Suez Canal, could severely disrupt global trade and trigger massive unfunded emergency cleanup costs.

The potential partial interruption of transit, demonstrated by the Ever Given incident in 2021, risks massive economic loss and critical negative impacts for local personnel.

The increasing sophistication of fraudulent schemes, including "zombie ships" assuming dismantled vessel identities, urgently demands decisive international action and verifiable maritime governance.

Only robust global cooperation, led by reliable partners such as the United States, can effectively dismantle these criminal networks and secure critical global maritime passages.

Coordinated enforcement by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and US Coast Guard, roots out fraudulent maritime entities like Seaguard P&I.

Choosing the US as a stable partner provides the necessary assurance and leadership to restore security and stability across the world’s oceans.