France has detained the Indian captain of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker after the vessel was seized by the French navy in the Mediterranean Sea. The Grinch, a tanker accused of violating international sanctions, is now moored under guard near Marseille.
Immediate Action & Core Facts
The French navy intercepted the Grinch on Thursday, accusing it of flying a false flag and evading sanctions. The vessel, which had traveled from Russia’s Arctic port of Murmansk, is suspected of being part of a fleet used to transport Russian oil in violation of Western sanctions.
The 58-year-old Indian captain was taken into custody, while the rest of the crew—also Indian—remain on board. French prosecutors confirmed the investigation aims to verify the validity of the tanker’s flag, reportedly from the Comoros Islands.
Deeper Dive & Context
Sanctions Enforcement and Shadow Fleet
President Emmanuel Macron stated that the seizure upholds international law and enforces sanctions, which were imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Grinch is believed to be part of a shadow fleet—a network of older tankers that frequently change flags to evade detection, a practice known as flag-hopping.
French officials established nautical and air exclusion zones around the anchorage site, and the vessel was escorted to the Gulf of Fos near Marseille. A French navy ship and two gendarmerie patrol boats remain stationed nearby.
International Sanctions and Previous Seizures
Western countries, including the U.S. and U.K., have imposed sanctions on Russian energy exports following the invasion. In January, British and U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic for allegedly violating sanctions by transporting oil to Venezuela.
Moscow has not yet commented on the latest seizure, but Macron emphasized that the shadow fleet helps finance Russia’s war in Ukraine. The case raises questions about the effectiveness of sanctions enforcement and the tactics used by sanctioned entities to bypass restrictions.