Norwegian investigators have charged four individuals in connection with an alleged marine insurance fraud scheme involving Russia’s “dark fleet.” According to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, the investigation is focused on Ro Marine AS, an insurer based in Norway that investigators say was engaged in fraudulent activities.
Ro Marine’s listed office address in Oslo’s prestigious Norwegian Shipowners Association building, however, raised red flags. The Norwegian Shipowners Association confirmed that Ro Marine never had a presence there. Further inquiries by Norway’s finance authority, Finanstilsynet, revealed that Ro Marine was not offering legitimate insurance services.
The fraud came to light after a routine audit of Ro Marine’s paperwork uncovered a forged document purportedly from Finanstilsynet. The document, which claimed to be an official approval letter from the Financial Supervisory Authority, featured a fake signature, a misrepresented seal, and references to non-existent regulations. In response, Finanstilsynet reported the issue to the police and ordered Ro Marine to cease its operations on March 4.
The four individuals charged in connection with the scheme include two Norwegians, one Bulgarian, and a Russian national from St. Petersburg, who is alleged to own and manage Ro Marine. The company, when contacted by NRK, denied any violations of international sanctions.
Despite Norwegian authorities’ orders to cease operations, Ro Marine’s website remained active as of March 25, with the firm’s Russian owner not in custody. Finanstilsynet noted that efforts to contact the company had been unsuccessful. The agency issued a warning to the public, advising against engaging with Ro Marine and its services.
Authorities also uncovered that seven tankers in the Baltic Sea had falsely claimed to be covered by Ro Marine, including the Russian-linked dark fleet tanker Achilles. These vessels, which cannot access Western insurance markets due to sanctions, had relied on fraudulent documents, leaving them without real insurance coverage. In the event of a spill or other maritime casualty, these ships would be dangerously underinsured.
“This is a direct violation of international conventions and significantly heightens the risk for everyone involved,” said Craig Kennedy, a sanctions expert at Harvard University. “It undermines global shipping safety and should be a concern for all coastal states.”
The Ro Marine case is among the most serious instances of alternative insurance arrangements used by Russia-linked tankers. Due to sanctions, these vessels have turned to Russian and Indian insurers, though the quality and legitimacy of their coverage remain questionable. Kristina Siig, an expert in maritime safety, emphasized that while such cases have occurred before, the scale and systemic nature of this fraud is unprecedented.
“This completely undermines the global shipping insurance system,” Siig said. “It’s an outrage.”
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