France Orders Shadow Tanker Captain to Appear in Court

troops on shadow tanker Boracay — Soldiers stand on the deck on the tanker Boracay that allegedly belongs to Russia's so-called shadow fleet, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, off Saint-Nazaire, France's Atlantic coast. (AP Photo/Mathieu Pattier)

French prosecutors have ordered the captain of a flagrant shadow fleet tanker to appear in court in February in what appears to be a crackdown on the stateless tankers transporting Russian oil. It is unclear if the tanker is still being investigated in relation to the drone incident over Denmark or if the vessel has been released from French custody.

Earlier on Thursday, October 2, it was reported that the prosecutor’s office in Brest, France, moved to extend the detention of the captain and chief officer of the tanker, which is now going by the name Boracay. It is possibly the sixth name for the tanker since 2020. It used three names in 2024, and Boracay is so new that it has yet to show up associated with the IMO number in most of the major databases.

The captain and the chief officer, both of whom are reported to be Chinese nationals, were released from detention later on Thursday, October 2. The prosecutor’s office said the captain was ordered to appear in court on February 23 on the charge that he failed to obey orders from the French forces, which boarded the vessel on Saturday, September 27, while it was sailing on the Atlantic coast. Associated Press reports the captain could face up to one year in prison and a fine of approximately $175,000.

The stop was predicated on the Navy’s suspicion of a discrepancy between the declared nationality and its real nationality. The ship has been claiming to be sailing under the flag of Benin since September 1, but that is widely believed to be a false flag. Prosecutors initially also said the two individuals could be charged for the false identity of the vessel, but later said that it was not the captain’s responsibility. He, however, continues to face the charges of not responding to the orders, but the chief officer was released with no charges.

The tanker has been sanctioned by both the UK and the EU for its association with the Russian oil trade. It has been cited for AIS spoofing and inconsistencies in its identity and registration in the past. It is believed to have started operating in the shadow fleet in June 2024.

French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated that they had acted to ensure the ship was “compliant with international rules.” The French news agency AFP reports Macron told the leaders gathered in Denmark for the European Political Community (EPC) summit, “You kill the business model by detaining, even for a few days or weeks, these vessels and forcing them to organize themselves differently.” Macron later announced after meeting with his European counterparts that in the coming weeks they will develop plans and "implement a policy of obstruction against the shadow fleet."

The leaders have refused to link this tanker to the drone incidents over Denmark last week. Macron said it is important to “get to the bottom of what happened.” Danish officials said the incidents, which happened over four nights, were launched by “professional actors,” but have not said where the launches originated.

French military personnel were reported to still be aboard the tanker during the day on Thursday, according to AFP. AIS signals late on Thursday still record the vessel as anchored off Saint-Nazaire, France. It was sailing from Primorsk, Russia to India with a cargo of Russian crude oil.