The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Karachi on Monday imposed a fine of Rs1.5 million after uncovering irregularities during a vessel clearance operation at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), officials said.
According to an FIA spokesperson, the action was taken during the clearance of the vessel MT Al-Tarf, where violations of maritime documentation rules were detected. The vessel had a total of 17 crew members on board, including 10 Bangladeshi and seven Indian nationals. It arrived in Karachi carrying approximately 3,000 metric tons of black carbon oil from the Omani port city of Shinas.
During the inspection, the FIA team found that three Bangladeshi crew members were traveling without valid seaman books. The individuals did not possess documents issued by either the flag state or their respective national authorities. Instead, they presented seaman books allegedly issued from Ireland, which were deemed illegal by authorities.
Initial investigations revealed that the documents had been obtained through online training and delivered via courier, raising serious concerns over their authenticity. Following the findings, the vessel’s master was informed, and a fine of Rs500,000 per individual was imposed, bringing the total penalty to Rs1.5 million. The shipping company had been issued a notice, and the fine would be deposited into the national exchequer. The FIA reiterated its policy of zero tolerance toward violations of legal requirements and confirmed that strict monitoring at ports would continue.
