AdvanFort

AdvanFort was a maritime security company, registered in the British Virgin Islands but operating primarily from India. It offered armed security services to vessels transiting high-risk areas, particularly those prone to piracy, such as the Indian Ocean. The company's operations involved placing armed guards on merchant ships to deter and defend against pirate attacks.

AdvanFort gained notoriety in 2013 when one of its vessels, the MV Seaman Guard Ohio, was detained by Indian authorities with a crew of 35, including armed guards and members of the crew. The incident sparked a prolonged legal battle and raised complex questions about maritime security regulations, the use of armed guards on ships, and the jurisdiction of coastal states over vessels operating in international waters. The crew were initially convicted of illegal possession of arms, but the convictions were later overturned. The case highlighted the challenges and ambiguities surrounding the private maritime security industry and the regulation of weapons at sea. AdvanFort's operations largely ceased following the Seaman Guard Ohio incident.