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France Boards Shadow Fleet Tanker and Detains Captain and First Officer

tanker detained
French authorities have now taken two officers into custody after detaining a shadow tanker in an investigation (file photo)

Published Oct 1, 2025 5:57 PM by The Maritime Executive


The investigation into the shadow fleet tanker that has been accused of various incidents, including the drones over Denmark, has deepened. The French news agency Agence France-Presse is reporting that the police have taken into custody two officers of the vessel, while BFMTV is posting images of the French Navy boarding the tanker.

The French media quotes the prosecutor’s office in Brest, France, as saying the police took two individuals into custody as it is pursuing the investigation into the tanker. They said the individuals identified themselves as the captain and first officer of the shadowy tanker. No additional details were provided or what charges they might be facing.

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters earlier in the day that France was investigating the tanker for “serious offenses.” Speaking at an EU summit in Copenhagen, Macron said, “There were some very serious offenses committed by this crew, which justify the current judicial procedure.” Macron, however, stopped short of linking the tanker, which is now identifying as Boracay, to the drones spotted over Denmark, which disrupted commercial airplane travel from the Copenhagen airport. AFP reports he said that was for the investigators to determine. Tracking data shows the tanker transiting around Denmark at the time of the drone incident. 

The video posted by BFMTV shows a French Navy launch circling the tanker and troops boarding the vessel. Other images show the armed military members on deck outside the bridge.

 

 


The reports indicate the French first boarded the vessel on Saturday, September 27, while it was sailing from Primorsk, Russia, laden with an oil cargo for India. The prosecutors reportedly said the crew failed to demonstrate the nationality of the vessel and did not cooperate with instructions. The tanker has been anchored off Saint-Nazaire, France, under detention since Sunday.

Russian media is calling the detention of the vessel a “provocation,” but news reports said a Kremlin spokesperson denied any knowledge of the incident. 

The tanker has drawn previous attention and was sanctioned by the UK in December 2024 for its involvement with the Russian oil trade. The European Union sanctioned the tanker in February 2025. Windward Maritime Analytics reports the ship has been sailing in the shadow fleet since June 2024, operating for Gatik, an Indian based company which is reported to be the largest carrier of Russian oil.

The tanker, Windward reports, has had nine ISM managers, four registered owners, and three commercial controllers in 16 months. It has also changed names five times and claimed registry under seven flags. Estonia detained the ship in April when it suspected it was operating under a false flag, but Djibouti gave the ship time to transition. It has also claimed registry in Gambia, Malawi, and now Benin when the French stopped the vessel. All those flags are believed to be false.

The European Union, earlier this year, authorized members' efforts to challenge vessels to prove their registry and insurance.