Urgent Fraud and Sanctions Alert - Forged Certificates for PERIDOT and AGATE
| CIRCULAR | Circular No. 030 (Amended) |
| SUBJECT | Urgent Fraud and Sanctions Alert – Forged Certificates for PERIDOT and AGATE |
| FROM | Office of the Maritime Administrator, Vanuatu International Shipping Registry |
| TO | All port States, coastal States, shipowners, managers, charterers, brokers, Recognized Organizations, insurers, P&I Clubs, banks, agents and stakeholders |
| AMENDMENT DATE | 20 August 2026 |
| EFFECTIVE DATE | Upon publication |
| STATUS | Version 2.0 – Supersedes the prior version of Circular No. 030 |
Authority and legal status. This Circular is issued by the Maritime Administrator under the functions and powers conferred by the Maritime Act [CAP 131], as amended by the Maritime (Amendment) Act No. 21 of 2025, including section 10C where applicable, and any additional written authority lawfully applicable to the subject. It shall be read with applicable mandatory IMO instruments and controlled VISR policies. It does not convert a direct statutory power into a delegated power, transfer a function assigned by law to another State entity, or amend any valid appointment, concession or other governing instrument.
Related controlled policies: VISR-QMS-POL-REG-003 – Regulatory Monitoring, Legislative Change and Administrative Decisions Policy; VISR-QMS-POL-REC-005 – Document and Records Control, Retention and IMSAS Evidence Management Policy; VISR-QMS-POL-CI-002 – IMSAS Compliance, Internal Audit, Corrective Action and Continual Improvement Policy.
1. Vessels and fraudulent documents identified
VISR has identified documents purporting to be Vanuatu Certificates of Registry for the following vessels as fraudulent and unauthorized: PERIDOT, IMO No. 9259991, described as an oil/chemical tanker, with a purported issue date of 20 January 2026; and AGATE, IMO No. 9310707, described as an oil tanker, with a purported issue date of 27 January 2026.
2. No entitlement to rely on the documents
• The identified documents were not issued or authorized by VISR and must not be accepted as evidence of Vanuatu nationality, registration or good standing.
• No port entry, chartering, insurance, banking, finance, cargo, bunkering, class, compliance or other decision should rely upon those documents.
• The vessels, owners, operators and associated parties must be subjected to enhanced due diligence, including sanctions, ownership, AIS, flag-history and documentary checks.
• This alert does not determine criminal guilt or ownership; it gives formal notice of the documentary status confirmed by the Registry.
3. Mandatory action by recipients
• Preserve and send the complete documents, envelopes, emails, metadata, QR codes, hyperlinks, screenshots, AIS extracts and circumstances in which they were presented.
• Identify the presenting party, broker, agent, owner, manager, insurer, bank, class society and any transaction in which reliance was requested.
• Do not return original evidence to a suspected source where doing so may compromise an investigation; follow the directions of the competent authority.
• Notify relevant port, coastal, sanctions, financial-crime and law-enforcement authorities where legally required.
• Verify any further Vanuatu document only through www.register-vu.com or direct written confirmation from VISR.
4. Continuing alert
This Circular remains in effect until expressly withdrawn or replaced. Any later lawful registration of a vessel with the same or a similar name does not validate the fraudulent documents identified above; verification must always be based on the current IMO number and official Registry record.
Compliance records and communications
All applications, approvals, notices, reports, evidence, decisions, acknowledgements and corrective-action records required by this Circular must be transmitted through an official VISR channel and retained in the controlled Registry file in accordance with the VISR records policy. Communications from unverified domains or persons without written authority must not be relied upon.
Official contact: technical@register-vu.com. Urgent safety, casualty, sanctions or fraud matters must also be copied to info@register-vu.com and reported without delay.
Enforcement, reasons and reconsideration
Non-compliance may result in enhanced inspection, corrective-action requirements, service restrictions, suspension, administrative penalties, withdrawal or revocation of documents, or deletion from the Registry, to the extent authorized by law and the applicable written authority. Except where immediate protective action is necessary for safety, security, sanctions compliance, documentary integrity or preservation of evidence, an affected person will be notified of the material grounds and given a reasonable opportunity to respond. A request for reconsideration must be submitted in writing to the Office of the Maritime Administrator with supporting evidence within ten business days of the written decision, unless a shorter period is stated because of an urgent risk.
Supersession and effective application
This amended Circular supersedes the prior version of Circular No. 030 from the effective date stated above. Existing obligations, liabilities, investigations, fees and corrective actions arising under the prior version remain enforceable to the extent lawfully incurred and are to be administered under the clearer procedures stated in this amended version. If this Circular conflicts with a later Act, regulation or controlled VISR policy, the higher or later instrument prevails and the Circular shall be updated through document control.
| Saade Makhlouf Maritime Administrator of the Republic of Vanuatu Vanuatu International Shipping Registry |
Issued in Port Vila and New York 20 August 2026 |
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