FIA Fines Karachi Shipping Agency Rs3.5 Million Over Foreign Crew Documentation

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has imposed a fine of Rs3.5 million on a shipping agency in Karachi after its immigration wing discovered serious documentation gaps for seven foreign catering workers aboard a vessel docked at Karachi Port. According to an FIA spokesperson, the irregularities were found during an inspection of the crew's immigration papers on the CS MARAM, an Abu Dhabi-flagged ship that arrived from Salalah and berthed at West Wharf's Berth No. 25.

The vessel, which carries 33 crew members, is scheduled to remain in Karachi for approximately two months as part of a cable-laying and repair project. During the inspection, FIA officials identified problems with the documents of four Nepali nationals, one Bangladeshi national, and two Malawian nationals. These seven individuals were employed as cooks, assistant cooks, and stewards on the ship.

According to the FIA, the workers did not possess National Seaman Books, Flag Seaman Books, or other mandatory maritime documents. Their records also lacked training certificates, flag endorsements, Certificates of Competency (CoC), Certificates of Proficiency (CoP), and watchkeeping certificates. Further checks revealed that some of the workers carried seaman books issued by Burundi, Palau, and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The workers informed officials that they were not professional seafarers and had been hired solely for catering and hospitality duties. They also stated that the company had supplied their documents. The vessel's captain accepted responsibility for the documentation issues and apologized, after which the FIA issued a fine notice of Rs3.5 million to the shipping agency.

The shipping agent assured officials that the amount would be deposited in the national exchequer within the current week and pledged to submit a copy of the paid challan to the immigration office. The case highlights ongoing scrutiny of foreign crew documentation at Pakistani ports.