Ghost Ship Hunter in Singapore Tracks Illicit Oil Tankers

Tracking Shadow Vessels

• 💡 Remy Osman, a British expat in Singapore, has taken up the hobby of tracking oil tankers involved in an underground economy.
• 🎯 These "shadow vessels" are suspected of transporting oil for sanctioned countries like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela.
• 🗓️ Osman began this hobby during COVID-19 quarantine, initially just observing the hundreds of ships passing daily.

Identifying Illicit Tankers

• 🔍 Osman uses software that tracks ships via their Automated Identification System (AIS) broadcasts.
• ⚠️ While these tankers are illicit, they often still broadcast AIS to avoid drawing direct attention from authorities like the Coast Guard.
• 🚢 He has personally observed approximately one hundred such vessels in recent years, often seeing multiple in a single day.

Motivations and Safety

• 🌍 The illicit oil trade is seen as a way to circumvent US and European sanctions aimed at pressuring countries like Russia.
• 🧐 Osman shares his findings through photos and videos on Instagram, sparking interest from others.
• ⚠️ While aware of potential safety concerns due to the nature of his hobby, Osman feels he is too invested to stop and operates from a safe country.