Belgium Fines Sanctioned Tanker €10M and Detains it for Safety Violations
Belgium announced during a press briefing on Tuesday, March 3, that it has completed its inspection of the tanker Ethera, which it detained overnight on Saturday as it was sailing along the coast and brought into port. They confirmed that the vessel was sailing under a false flag, without proper certificates, and with multiple safety violations.
In a carefully orchestrated effort called “Blue Intruder,” 93 Belgian soldiers and two French helicopters descended on the tanker shortly before midnight on Saturday, February 28. The 46,600 dwt tanker was traveling in ballast from Morocco to Russia and claimed to be registered in Guyana.
Built in 2008, the vessel was acquired in 2024 by the son of one of Iran’s top advisors to the Supreme Leader. The father was reported to have been killed in Sunday’s raids on Iran, as well as Iran’s Supreme Leader. The United States sanctioned the tanker in July 2025 for its link to Iran and also said it was being used to transport Russian oil in violation of sanctions.
Belgium’s ministers of Justice and Mobility reported today that they confirmed the ship does not have a valid registration or certificates. Inspectors found a total of 45 violations, including technical defaults with the ship.
Vessel was detained overnight between Saturday and Sunday by Belgian troops with assistance from France (Jean-Luc Crucke)
The tanker has been ordered to pay a fine of €10,020,000 (approximately $11 million). Further, the ship will remain under detention until the owner can demonstrate that it secured a flag state and has proper certificates. The ship will also have to undergo a further inspection to confirm that the safety deficiencies have been corrected.
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There is a crew of 21 aboard the ship. They report it consists of a Russian captain, seven officers (including three from India, three from Georgia, and one from Indonesia), and 13 crewmembers, all from India. The crew has been ordered to remain aboard the vessel until it is cleared to depart.
Defense Minister Theo Francken had announced the seizure of the ship and reported that he monitored the operation from the Belgian command center. He emphasized the seizure was part of Belgium’s efforts to enforce European sanctions and protect the North Sea. He said the length of the detention depends on the ship’s owner, but that it would be going nowhere until the fine was paid and the next inspection confirms compliance.