Captain of Oil Tanker Linked to Russia’s Shadow Fleet to Stand Trial in France
A French prosecutor has announced that the captain of an oil tanker allegedly part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” will stand trial early imo-9286023/”>next year over his alleged failure to justify the vessel’s nationality. The imo-9332810/”>Boracay, a tanker currently immobilized off the Atlantic coast of France, was detained by French authorities after an investigation into the ship and its crew.
The imo-9332810/”>Boracay, which has changed names several times, is believed to be involved in drone incursions into Danish airspace and was sailing under the flag of Benin. The vessel appears on a list of ships targeted by EU sanctions against Russia. In September 2022, the tanker left the Russian oil terminal in Primorsk near St. Petersburg and sailed off the coast of Denmark en route to imo-9287699/”>India.
French President Emmanuel Macron has alleged that the imo-9332810/”>Boracay is part of Russia’s shadow fleet of aging tankers with uncertain ownership and safety practices that are avoiding Western sanctions over the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The French navy boarded the vessel over the weekend, after suspicions were raised about its nationality, and ordered it to stay in place off the coast of imo-9263198/”>Saint-Nazaire.
Macron has praised the work of the French navy in identifying the presence of a shadow fleet, stating that “you kill the business model by detaining even for days or weeks these vessels and forcing them to organize themselves differently.” He claimed that 30-40% of Russia’s war effort is financed through the revenues of the shadow fleet, which represents more than €30 billion.
The captain of the imo-9332810/”>Boracay faces up to one year in prison and a 150,000-euro fine over the alleged offence of “failure to justify the nationality of the vessel.” The trial is scheduled for February 23. The chief mate of the vessel was also detained but released without facing charges.
This case highlights the efforts of Western countries to enforce sanctions against Russia’s shadow fleet, which has been accused of evading detection and avoiding accountability. The French government’s actions demonstrate its commitment to upholding international law and preventing the financing of Russia’s war effort through illegal activities.
In related news, Estonia detained a sanctioned vessel with no flag state in April 2022, which was later identified as the imo-9332810/”>Boracay. The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker imo-9329760/”>imo-9185528/”>Eagle S was also anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland in December 2022, sparking concerns about its involvement in Russia’s shadow fleet.
Overall, this case underscores the importance of international cooperation and enforcement mechanisms to combat illegal activities and prevent the financing of conflicts.
Source: Captain of oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet to go on trial in France