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Global Trade Review

By March 14, 2019October 1st, 202641,866 Comments

International Maritime Bureau

takes on bill of lading fraud with carrier register

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) is seeking to stamp out bills of lading fraud with a code of conduct register for non-vessel owning common carriers (NVOCCs).

IMB is a division of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) that specialises in tackling maritime crime and malpractice.

IMB claims that up to 95% of the false – erroneous or fraudulent – bills of lading it has identified are issued by NVOCCs.
IMB bill of lading fraud with carrier register

Key Highlights

1

The bureau

which conducts bills of lading checks for its members, states that while the vast majority of NVOCCs issue documents correctly, there is a small minority that do not.
2

According to IMB

This could lead to fraudulent practices, and banks that unwittingly process false bills of lading may find no cargo underlying the documents, or that the shipments are misrepresented.
3

Emergence of eBLs

The emergence of eBLs has the potential to revolutionise the international trade industry as archaic paper-based systems mean goods are often held up in ports waiting for bills of lading to verify the goods. In addition to the increased speed of document transfers, the use of a blockchain-based system is also expected to significantly reduce the risk of fraudulent bills of lading being processed.
4

Bill of Lading Centre Stage

Bill of lading modernisation has taken centre stage recently: earlier this year tech giant IBM partnered with Pacific International Lines (PIL), one of Southeast Asia’s largest shipping firms, to complete a real-time pilot of its electronic bill of lading (eBL) add-on for the IBM Blockchain Platform.Elsewhere, platforms like Bolero and essDocs have long been working on industry-approved eBL applications that give carriers and logistics providers the ability to create, send and manage bills of lading digitally.
5

Bolero partnered with Evergreen Line

Bolero recently partnered with container carrier Evergreen Line to produce a paperless bill of lading and dispatch documentation via its ShipmentLink portal. It is also looking at how to redesign its eBL service using blockchain technology, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with fintech consortium R3 in October.
6

NVOCC Register

The IMB NVOCC Register, which was launched in Singapore on January 15, will include a set of anti-fraud standards for the issuance of bills of lading and aims to create a database of creditable carriers that can be referred to by a NVOCC’s counterparties.
7

According to IMB

Member banks may also be able to process documents of carriers on the register faster than non-members
8

An IMB spokesperson tells GTR

The bureau’s members are encouraging their NVOCCS to join and that it has registered more than 10 carriers so far.
9

The spokesperson explains

Incidents of ship-owners/carriers or their agents issuing false bills of lading are uncommon because they take a big risk in doing so and open themselves to legal action.
10

However

“unlike the carriers or their agents, the majority of NVOCCs do not have any assets which are at risk in these transactions, except for their reputations.”

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  • Australia Tobacconist Hub
    Online Tobacco Sales in Australia: Between Health Warnings and “Cheap” Cigarettes

    A website has appeared offering Australian residents the ability to purchase cigarettes and tobacco with delivery to their door. The website, which calls itself Australia Tobacconist Hub, is full of mixed messages: aggressive marketing of cheap cigarettes alongside disclaimers about the health risks of tobacco use.

    What the Service Offers

    The platform’s key customer base is smokers trying to cut costs. Among the products listed are:

    Double Happiness (?? ??) — $190 per carton (10 packets x 20’s)
    Manchester Sapphire Blue – Dubai Version — $220 per carton
    Manchester Special Edition Flow Red (Dubai Version) — $250 per carton
    Manchester Blue Crush (Dubai Version) — $250 per block
    Dunhill Blue – UK Edition — $220 per block
    Dunhill Red (UK Version) — $190 per block
    Benson and Hedges Gold — $160 per block
    Zhongnanhai brand — $180 per block

    The seller highlights “competitive prices” (Cheap Tobacco Australia) and the offering of popular brands such as Marlboro, Manchester, Bossku, and Double Happiness.

    Delivery and Payment Methods

    The seller promises quick, dependable, and private shipping across Australia (Fast Tobacco Delivery Australia). They claim to accept various payment options including bank transfer, USDT, PayPal, Wise, and more. Customer communication is handled via WhatsApp and email — a standard practice in the shadow economy for online tobacco sales.

    The Contradiction in Messaging

    Curiously enough, the very same site that promotes tobacco sales (while formally warning that selling to persons under 18 is illegal) also features a “STOP SMOKING” image with an image of a cigarette passing through human lungs.

    In a part named “STOP TOBACCO”, the text states:

    “Giving up smoking is hard, but every effort counts. Within minutes, your body starts recovering — and over time, your health and energy come back. Let’s start today!”

    This anti-smoking advice sits directly alongside a list of items for sale selling cartons for $160–$250 and a prompt to buy: “Purchase cigarettes online in Australia for the lowest price.” Such double messaging is common of illegal or semi-legal cigarette sellers that try to feign social responsibility while still pushing harmful goods.

    Legal Issues

    The text leaves unclear whether the seller possesses a valid Australian retail license for tobacco. Australia is known for having some of the strictest tobacco laws in the world, including plain packaging requirements and very large tobacco duties. The promise of low-cost smokes — especially “Dubai Edition” or “UK Version” — often suggests untaxed, smuggled, or counterfeit goods.

    Conclusion

    The online shop described above is a clear illustration of a shadow online tobacco business. It takes advantage of smokers’ desire to save money in the face of Australia’s high legal tobacco taxes, while masking itself with empty health warnings and claims of customer care. Potential buyers should remember that buying unlicensed tobacco carries not only the chance of legal trouble but also a complete lack of quality or safety guarantees.

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