International efforts to enforce sanctions are increasingly challenged by the rise of "shadow fleets"—vessels that operate in secrecy to transport goods for sanctioned regimes. According to Justin Hastings, a professor of international relations at the University of Sydney, these ships frequently employ tactics such as disabling their Automatic Identification System (AIS) to vanish from tracking maps while conducting illicit transfers.

In one documented instance from April 2023, a tanker linked to North Korea went dark in the East China Sea. The vessel reappeared ten days later, appearing to be off the coast of southern China, while it was actually located in a different bay preparing to deliver oil in violation of United Nations sanctions.

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Hastings attributes the success of these operations to the vastness of the ocean and the legal protections afforded to ships on the high seas, which generally discourage interference. He describes the current maritime environment as a "Wild West" where rogue states have refined their evasion techniques. While nations like Russia and Iran have adopted similar strategies, interdicting these vessels remains a costly and hazardous endeavor for authorities.

Source: The Conversation