KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration Karachi has imposed a fine of Rs3.5 million on shipping agency Sharaf Shipping after identifying serious documentation irregularities aboard a vessel docked at Karachi Port, it was reported on Monday.
According to the FIA spokesperson, the vessel had seven foreign crew members including four Nepalis, one Bangladeshi and two Malawian nationals.
The foreign crew members were found without mandatory Seaman’s Books and maritime training certificates.
During the inspection, authorities also recovered Seaman’s Books issued by Burundi, Palau and Saint Kitts and Nevis from some crew members, raising concerns over compliance with maritime documentation requirements.
The vessel, CS Maram, had arrived in Karachi from Salalah and was engaged in a cable-laying project. A total of 33 crew members were deployed aboard the ship.
Following the discovery of the violations, FIA Immigration imposed a fine of Rs3.5 million on Sharaf Shipping.
The ship’s captain accepted responsibility for the documentation shortcomings and apologized, while the shipping agency assured authorities that the fine would be deposited into the national exchequer.
