Finance
France detains Indian captain of suspected shadow fleet tanker
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 25, 2026
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
France detains an Indian captain of a shadow fleet tanker suspected of bypassing sanctions. The vessel was intercepted in the Mediterranean and is under investigation.
MARSEILLE, France, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The captain of an oil tanker intercepted by the French navy has been detained under investigations into whether it was operating under a false flag, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said on Sunday.
The vessel named Grinch was seized in the Mediterranean on Thursday, then diverted to anchor off the French port city, on suspicion of being part of the shadow fleet that lets Russia export oil despite sanctions.
The 58-year-old captain, an Indian national, was detained as part of the preliminary investigations, the prosecutors said in a statement that did not mention Russia.
The vessel left the Russian port of Murmansk in early January, sailing under a Comoros flag, French authorities have said.
Other crew members, also Indian nationals, remain on board the ship while investigators verify the validity of the flag and the vessel's navigation documents, the statement added.
The EU has imposed 19 packages of sanctions against Russia, but Moscow has adapted to most measures and continues to sell millions of barrels of oil to countries such as India and China, typically at discounted prices.
Much of the oil is carried by what is known as a shadow fleet of vessels operating outside of the Western maritime industry.
In October, France detained another sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, off its west coast and released it after a few days.
(Reporting by Marc Leras, writing by Leigh Thomas, editing by Andrew Heavens)
A shadow fleet refers to a group of vessels that operate outside of the regular maritime industry, often to evade sanctions or regulations.
Sanctions are penalties or restrictions imposed by countries or international bodies to influence or punish a nation or entity for specific behaviors.
A false flag operation involves disguising the true source of responsibility for an action, often to mislead or manipulate public perception.
Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, governs nautical issues and private maritime disputes, including shipping, navigation, and the rights of seafarers.
An oil tanker is a large ship designed to transport crude oil or refined petroleum products across oceans and seas.
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