French authorities placed the captain of an oil tanker in custody after the navy intercepted the vessel in the Mediterranean Sea on suspicion of violating sanctions against Russia. The tanker, identified as the Grinch, was diverted by French naval forces and anchored in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, according to French media reports on Sunday.
Prosecutors in Marseille said the ship’s captain, an Indian national, was handed over to judicial authorities for questioning following the operation. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew, also reportedly Indian nationals, remained on board the vessel, according to Ici Provence radio. Authorities opened a preliminary investigation on suspicion of failure to properly fly a national flag, a potential violation of maritime regulations.
Although the Marseille prosecutor’s office confirmed the captain’s detention in a statement cited by media, it did not immediately respond to further requests for comment. However, officials indicated that investigators were examining the tanker’s ownership, route, and cargo documentation as part of the inquiry.
Shadow fleet suspicions and prior cases
The Grinch departed from Murmansk in northwestern Russia and is suspected of belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a network of vessels believed to help circumvent international sanctions on Russian oil exports. French military footage released this week showed navy personnel boarding the tanker from a helicopter during the interception.
This incident follows a similar operation last September, when French naval forces boarded another oil tanker off France’s Atlantic coast. President Emmanuel Macron previously linked that vessel to the same shadow fleet. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the action as piracy.
French judicial authorities later announced that the captain of the earlier tanker would stand trial in February, accused of refusing to cooperate with investigators.
Consequently, the latest interception highlights growing European scrutiny of maritime activity suspected of breaching sanctions, as authorities step up enforcement in regional waters.
