Operators with ships trading in Turkey should be aware of the recent increasing trend regarding sudden and unannounced inspections on ships by Turkish customs. Namely, several incidents have been reported where custom officials have boarded ships to check the ship’s actual fuel quantity against the one declared on arrival.
A potential misdeclaration could be treated as an act of smuggling and could have criminal consequences.
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According to the Standard Club, this could lead to:
- Confiscation of the excess/undeclared fuel
- Investigation for smuggling against the master and chief engineer
- Arrest/imprisonment of the master and chief engineer during the ship’s next call in Turkey
There is no risk against the shipowner or the ship itself.
Ships should be extra cautious when measuring the fuel on board for declaration purposes, especially when calling Turkish ports.
What a good way to snatch money from ship owners.