Sanctions evasion through deceptive shipping practices like dark shipping is an increasingly common issue in maritime industries that continues to transform into a sophisticated tactic to bypass international law. Evasion tactics include anything from dark ship-to-ship (STS) transfers at sea to unmonitored and unreported port calls for illicit trade - most often involving oil, liquified natural gas (LNG), and military equipment.

 

To better apply international sanctions enforcement, governments, militaries, and private organizations must first begin to understand evasion tactics on a closer level.