MSC and Hong Kong Spirit fined USD 1.75 million for illegal discharges

The U.S. justice system has ordered shipping companies MSC Shipmanagement Limited and Hong Kong Spirit Shipping and Trading Limited to jointly pay a fine of USD 1.75 million and serve four years of probation. Both companies admitted responsibility for the illegal discharge of oily waste into the ocean and for falsifying official records aboard the vessel MSC Samira III.

"MSC Shipmanagement Limited, one of the world's largest shipping companies, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) due to acts committed on the motor vessel MSC Samira III between June 2024 and January 2025," the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Department of Justice reported.

"The vessel's owner, Hong Kong Spirit Shipping and Trading Limited, also pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the APPS. Both companies were sentenced to pay a combined fine of USD 1.75 million and serve four years of probation. The second engineer, Mikhail Tsurikov, had previously pleaded guilty to violating the APPS and his sentencing is scheduled for September 10," it added.

According to the file, between June and September 2024, officers in the engine department of the MSC Samira III ordered subordinates to transfer oily bilge water to the sewage tank using hoses and portable pumps. The crew then discharged the contaminated effluent into the ocean through the discharge valve of that tank, thus circumventing the oil-water separator (equipment designed to prevent discharges exceeding 15 parts per million of hydrocarbons).

Despite U.S. and international regulations requiring these exceptional operations to be recorded in the oil record book, those responsible omitted to log them. Likewise, between September 2024 and January 2025, the same officers repeatedly deceived the purifier monitor by circulating fresh water instead of oily waste, which allowed them to discharge the effluent directly into the sea without legal record.

In addition, it was reported that in January 2025, the MSC Samira III made two separate calls at the Port of Philadelphia, where its crew presented the false oil record book to the United States Coast Guard.

In this regard, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), Adam Gustafson, stated that "foreign vessels entering U.S. ports and presenting false documents undermine our efforts to preserve the environment and enforce the law. We will vigorously protect the integrity of our port control system against actors who prioritize profit over compliance."

"These companies repeatedly cut corners and covered it up, polluting the marine environment. Their violations demonstrate both a disregard for our country's laws and a clear case of greed. Shippers who illegally discharge pollutants and alter their records will be prosecuted and held accountable," said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

"Deliberately concealing illegal discharges puts our marine environment at risk and undermines national and international regulatory frameworks designed to keep our waterways safe. The Coast Guard remains committed to working with our federal partners to hold operators accountable when they violate the laws that protect our oceans," said U.S. Coast Guard Captain Roberto Rivera, Captain of the Port and Commander of Sector Delaware Bay.

Javier González, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the CGIS, noted that "the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) possesses unique legal authorities and specialized investigative capabilities, specifically designed to address complex criminal conduct in the maritime domain."

"When maritime operators engage in criminal deception, falsify official records, and attempt to circumvent federal oversight, CGIS special agents have the technical expertise and jurisdiction to uncover the truth and hold perpetrators accountable. This case underscores our unwavering commitment to maintaining the integrity of our waterways and enforcing the rule of law throughout the maritime domain," he concluded.