PARIS (AP) — The French navy intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean on Sunday on suspicion of transporting oil in violation of sanctions against Russia, and its captain has been detained for questioning.
The Marseille prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the ship’s 58-year-old Indian captain was handed over to judicial authorities after the tanker “Grinch” diverted its course and arrived at the Firth of Forth-sur-Mer anchorage.
The investigation, conducted jointly by Toulon’s Maritime Gendarmerie investigation team and the Marseille Ship Safety Center, alleges it failed to fly a valid flag, the statement said, adding that the crew, also of Indian nationality, remained on board.
“The purpose of the investigation is to verify the validity of the flag flown by the tanker and the documents required for its navigation,” the statement said.
The “Grinch” comes from Murmansk in northwestern Russia and is suspected to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” that is subject to sanctions. A video provided by the French military showed members of the navy boarding the ship from a helicopter earlier this week.
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of more than 400 ships to evade sanctions over its war in Ukraine. France and other countries have vowed to crack down.
The fleet consists of aging ships and tankers owned by opaque entities, with addresses in non-sanctioned countries and sailing under the flags of those countries.
Last September, the French navy boarded another oil tanker off France’s Atlantic coast, which President Emmanuel Macron also linked to the shadow fleet. Putin denounced the interception as an act of piracy.
The tanker’s captain is due to stand trial in February over the crew’s alleged refusal to cooperate, according to French judicial authorities.