The Epicenter of Maritime Lawlessness on Asia’s Doorstep
“For the past five years the waters off eastern Malaysia near the Riau archipelago have been used by ‘dark fleet’ tankers as a hub for floating storage and ship-to-ship transfers of Western-sanctioned oil.”
“The area is strategically convenient, serving as a mid-way point between Iran, Russia or Venezuela and China, the biggest buyer of crude, with nearby maritime services from Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia within a day’s sailing.”
“As many as 80 sanctioned or high-risk tankers operate in this hub at any given time. Nearly 40% of them transmit false or unknown flags.”