The IMO warned about a registry operating under the domain www.imsag.org, claiming it's fraudulent. Even though Guyana's government alerted the IMO about this, the registry continues to operate.
The contract between Guyana's Maritime Administration Department and the Aryavart Corporation, which runs the registry, was terminated. However, the registry still issues fake registration certificates and authorizes recognized organizations.
After facing difficulties in Guyana, the Aryavart Corporation from India set up the Eswatini Maritime Affairs and International Ship Registry in Singapore last year.
They registered ships under Eswatini, the former Swaziland. But the IMO has listed several vessels that paid to register with Eswatini as 'False Eswatini'.
The Indian backers of the Eswatini flag are also looking into establishing another registry in landlocked Laos. Laos, like Eswatini, is not a member state of the IMO.
Landlocked countries setting up shipping registries have been in the news before, including Mongolia, Bolivia, and the recent creation of the San Marino Ship Register in 2021.
