Valletta, Malta — The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), along with officials from the maritime administrations and coast guards of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, participated in the Regional Workshop on Deceptive Shipping Practices.

The workshop, organized by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – Global Maritime Crime Program and funded by the Governments of Malta and Japan, tackled global threats posed by deceptive vessel behavior. Discussions centered on combating maritime smuggling, particularly the transport of hazardous contraband such as weapons, drugs, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials.

Deceptive shipping practices—such as falsification of shipping documents and manipulation of ship identification and tracking systems and complex routing strategies— undermine United Nations (UN) sanctions and compromise global maritime security.

As the Philippine flag administration, MARINA highlighted its role in addressing fraudulent ship registries and smuggling activities. The agency’s participation reflects the country’s commitment to international maritime security and aligns with the Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) 2028.

The Philippine delegation included officials from MARINA, PCG and the National Maritime Center (NMC).

View photos here