Fraudulent Job Rackets Leave Aspiring Indian Seafarers To Financial Losses, Career Uncertainty
Many of the agents operate without valid licenses, luring candidates with promises of high-paying jobs abroad, writes ETV Bharat’s Gautam Debroy.
Published : April 17, 2026 at 7:06 PM IST
New Delhi: A surge in fraudulent job rackets in India’s maritime sector is leaving thousands of aspiring seafarers exposed to financial losses and career uncertainty, states a report by the All India Seafarers Union, calling for tighter regulation and better enforcement.
According to the report in possession of ETV Bharat, fake placement agencies and unauthorised manning agents have proliferated in recent years, targeting young job seekers eager to secure employment on foreign-going and coastal vessels. Many of these agents operate without valid licenses, luring candidates with promises of high-paying jobs abroad.
The Directorate General of Shipping has repeatedly issued advisories cautioning seafarers against such fraudulent operators. Despite this, complaints of cheating and illegal recruitment continue to surface, indicating gaps in monitoring and enforcement.
The Concern
“A key concern is the absence of a centralised system to track fraud cases specific to maritime recruitment. Most complaints are registered under general cheating provisions, making it difficult for authorities to assess the scale of the problem or identify repeat offenders,” said All India Seafarers Union working president Abhijeet Sangle to ETV Bharat on Friday.
According to Sangle, there is no clear database that captures the extent of fraud in seafarer hiring. “Without that, policy response remains reactive,” he said.
The report also points to widespread under-reporting. Victims often hesitate to file complaints due to lack of awareness, fear of stigma, or confusion over legal procedures. In several states, according to the report, informal complaints outnumber officially registered FIRs.
India Has 12% Of Global Seafarers
India has a significant number of seafarers, with estimates placing active seafarers around 2.85 to 3 lakhs with at least 80 percent of Indian seafarers employed on foreign-flagged ships.
According to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, India now provides 12 percent of the global seafarers, ranking third in the list of the largest seafarers supplying nations of the world maritime industry.
As the Indian Maritime administration works towards achieving the key performance indicators as encapsulated in the maritime India Vision 2030 and in the Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, according to Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan, India aspires to contribute 20 percent of the global pool of seafarers from the present 12 percent.
Problem Not Limited To India
The report suggests that fraudulent agents typically demand large upfront payments, sometimes running into lakhs of rupees, and ask candidates to transfer money into personal bank accounts. In many cases, victims are not issued mandatory documents such as the Seafarer Employment Agreement (SEA), leaving them with little legal protection.
“They promise immediate placement on foreign vessels with attractive salaries. But once the money is paid, the agent either disappears or keeps delaying deployment,” said Capt. Sanjay Prashar, a maritime expert familiar with multiple such cases.
The problem, however, is not limited to India. “Global estimates suggest that 28-31 percent of seafarers globally face illegal recruitment fee demands which increase the vulnerability of those entering the industry for the first time,” he said.
Prashar said that the All India Seafarers Union has intensified awareness campaigns, urging candidates to verify recruitment agencies through the DG Shipping’s official RPSL (Recruitment and Placement of Seafarers License) list before making any payments. The union is also assisting victims in filing complaints and coordinating with authorities, including Indian missions abroad.
Caution From Experts
“Unless there is strict action against unlicensed agents and better coordination between central and state agencies, these rackets will continue to thrive. Although the Merchant Shipping Act was passed by the Parliament last year, the government is yet to implement the Act properly due to lack of coordination between centre and states,” Prashar said.
Stakeholders have called for a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism and a centralised tracking system for maritime recruitment fraud. Such steps, they argue, would help authorities detect patterns, crackdown on repeat offenders, and protect job seekers.
"With India remaining one of the world’s largest suppliers of seafarers, unchecked fraud could not only harm individuals but also dent the credibility of the country’s maritime workforce,” Prashar added.
According to Prashar, there are so many cases where job seekers are victims of such a huge racket but the government is not doing anything.
“During the present West Asia conflict too, seafarers are facing problems. Many of the seafarers are stranded at the war zone and help from the government is hardly reaching them,” said Prashar.
Lack of dedicated police stations and officials is also a major reason that the merchant job racketeers are still moving scot-free, he said
Interference Of DG Shipping
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) has warned seafarers against fraudulent recruitment practices, cautioning them to avoid sub-agents and middlemen.
In a recent advisory, the regulator stressed that hiring must be conducted only through authorised RPSL agencies, as mandated under the RPS Rules, 2016.
The DG Shipping urged candidates to verify recruiters’ official email IDs, check registered office details, and confirm credentials on its website before sharing documents. It also flagged illegal routing of jobs through intermediaries as a serious violation, reiterating that unauthorised agents continue to exploit job seekers in the maritime sector.
As per a latest report of International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), the organisation in 2023 assisted 6,740 seafarers and their families around the world through its helplines and delivered training to almost 6,000 seafarers, including pre-departure orientation and mental health awareness presentations.
“Since 2019, ISWAN’s Seafarer Help helpline has handled 475 cases of illegal recruitment, affecting 1,048 Indian seafarers. Frequently, these seafarers have sought help from ISWAN after their agent has taken a recruitment service charge but the promised job has not materialised, or after being placed in unsafe working conditions having paid a fee,” the report highlighted.
The ISWAN is an international not-for-profit maritime organisation which supports seafarers and their families around the world with free helpline services, educational resources, relief funds and humanitarian support.
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