Iran is reportedly masking its crude oil exports by ordering its oil tanker captains to disable their ships’ tracking systems in a further bid to conceal who its customers to counter Western sanctions aimed at diminishing the rogue state’s oil revenues.

 

According to reports citing oil and shipping industry sources, most of Iran’s 39-strong fleet of tankers is now ‘off-radar’ after Tehran ordered captains in the National Iranian Tanker Co (NITC) to switch off their black box transponders, used in the shipping industry to monitor vessel movements.

 

The problem for Malta is that no less than 30 of the NITC’s 39 oil tankers are flying the Maltese maritime flag, according to data on the NITC’s website.

 

Ships are obliged by international law to have a satellite tracking device on board when travelling at sea. However, a ship’s master has the discretion to turn off the device on safety grounds with the permission on the vessel’s flag state.

 

It is also alleged that some of those tankers had switched off their trackers to avoid detection last year during the Libya conflict so as to trade with the Gaddafi government.

 

Under normal circumstances, tankers would generally not turn off their tracking systems, which were introduced to improve safety at sea and allow marine authorities to locate vessels.

 

The EU’s 1 July oil embargo, as well as US and European financial sanctions against Iran’s nuclear programme, have seen Iran’s oil sales drop to most Western destinations. Now NITC ship captains have switched off recognition systems and customers are keeping business strictly under wraps.

 

A survey by the Reuters news agency shows that only seven of its 25 very large crude carriers are still operating on-board transponders that allow computers to track vessels.Sixteen of those vessels fly the Maltese flag while the other nine fly the Cypriot flag.

 

Only two of NITC’s nine smaller Suezmax size tankers now have their tracking systems in operation, according to the agency. All the Suezmax size tankers are registered in Malta.

(Source: independent.com.mt)