New Zealand warned the Cook Islands in 2024 about a 'shadow fleet' of 19 tankers suspected of smuggling oil for Russia and Iran, according to a confidential AFP list. Named ships include Arabesca and Maruti; Arabesca was blacklisted by multiple Western jurisdictions in 2025 and the Maruti was linked to large shipments of Iranian naphtha. While some vessels have been de-registered, seven of the 19 remained on the Cook Islands registry as of mid-January 2026, underscoring concerns that flags of convenience can facilitate sanctions evasion.
New Zealand Warns Cook Islands Over 'Shadow Fleet' of Tankers Suspected in Oil Smuggling
Better known as a tourist drawcard, the Cook Islands operates one of the fastest-growing shipping registries in the world (William WEST)(William WEST/AFP/AFP)
New Zealand informed Cook Islands authorities in 2024 about a so-called 'shadow fleet' of 19 tankers suspected of smuggling oil for Russia and Iran, according to a confidential list obtained by AFP.
The Cook Islands, a small Pacific nation with a rapidly expanding international ship registry, allows foreign owners to register vessels under its flag for modest fees. That registry growth has attracted scrutiny after evidence emerged that some ships flagged to the archipelago may be evading Western sanctions.
New Zealand officials compiled the 2024 list of 19 'vessels of concern' that had been registered to the Cook Islands in recent years. The list named prominent vessels including the crude oil tanker Arabesca, which routinely called at Russian ports in the Baltic Sea, and the chemical tanker Maruti, frequently seen transiting the Persian Gulf.
In 2025 the Arabesca was blacklisted by the UK, Canada, Switzerland and the European Union over suspected involvement in smuggling Russian oil. A US sanctions notice published in December 2025 linked the Maruti to the movement of 'hundreds of thousands of barrels' of Iranian naphtha while it sailed under the Cook Islands flag.
Both the Arabesca and the Maruti have since been removed from the Cook Islands registry. However, New Zealand says other flagged ships remain a concern: of the 19 vessels identified in 2024, seven were still registered to the Cook Islands as of mid-January 2026, including tankers Bonetta and Ocean Wave, which US authorities suspect of carrying crude oil from Iran.
How The Shadow Fleet Operates
Western sanctions aim to curb revenue streams that could finance Iran's nuclear programme or Russia's military operations. New Zealand alleges transnational maritime smuggling networks, known as the 'shadow fleet', exploit flags of convenience to disguise illicit cargoes and reduce regulatory scrutiny.
"New Zealand has raised serious concerns directly with the Cook Islands government about the management of its shipping registry, including the flagging of shadow fleet vessels," New Zealand's foreign affairs department said.
Former Royal New Zealand Navy officer Mark Douglas, now an analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence, said the Cook Islands registry listed about 150 foreign tankers at its peak in 2024. 'It certainly seemed at its peak that it was pay to play,' Douglas said, adding that many dubious vessels have since been de-registered but some remain with unresolved questions.
Registry Growth And Oversight
Maritime Cook Islands was described by shipping journal Lloyd's List in 2024 as the fastest-growing registry in the world. The UN-backed International Maritime Organization currently lists around 40 tankers registered to the Cook Islands.
Although shipping licence revenue is modest—the Cook Islands budget estimated about US$50,000 from registrations for the year—the registry's rapid expansion and use as a flag of convenience have drawn international attention. Flags of convenience allow foreign owners to register vessels without visiting the issuing country and can, critics say, enable weaker or inconsistent enforcement of sanctions.
Maritime Cook Islands has denied failing to perform appropriate checks. In a previous statement to AFP, the registry said it has 'never harboured sanctioned vessels' and that 'any sanctioned vessels are deleted.' New Zealand, as the Cook Islands' closest diplomatic partner with continuing responsibilities for foreign affairs and defence, has pressed the archipelago diplomatically over registry management.
AFP was unable to reach the owners of Arabesca, Maruti, Bonetta and Ocean Wave for comment.
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