Shadow Tanker is Back Underway Having Again Eluded Authorities
The shadow tanker Boracay got back underway late on Thursday, October 2, having yet again eluded the grasp of the authorities. The French had been detaining the vessel since Saturday, September 27, and before that, the same vessel was held for 15 days in Estonia. Despite multiple reports of a false flag and sanctions by the EU and UK, the vessel continues to sail.
Boracay, an 18-year-old crude oil tanker, has become the definition of the shadow fleet. Over the past 16 months, it has been sailing with multiple reports of false flags, name changes, obfuscation of its ownership, and multiple managers. The vessel is 115,577 dwt and reported to be fully laden yet again with a shipment of Russian crude bound for India.
While the media reports have been linking the ship to the drone incidents over Denmark, French authorities are confirming off the record, it was stopped because of “inconsistencies in where it was officially registered.” The vessel left Primorsk, Russia, on September 20, likely still using the name Pushpa, and seven days later was stopped displaying the name Boracay. It has been claiming registry in Benin since September 1, but most sources list that as a false flag. Before that, it claimed registry in Malawi and Gambia in 2025, after losing its flag in Djibouti at the end of 2024.
French authorities have not made an official comment on the vessel’s status, and Reuters and AFP (Agence France-Presse) noted that they did not receive a response to questions about the release of the vessel. AFP reports the Chinese captain and the Chief Officer were released by the French authorities on Thursday and returned to the ship, which was anchored off Saint-Nazaire.
The captain is under orders to return to France in February to appear in court on charges that he did not respond to orders by the French authorities when the vessel was boarded. The authorities confirmed they could not hold the captain responsible for the opaque details on the ship’s nationality and ownership. The first officer was not charged and was released.
Boracay is underway, making approximately 9 to 10 knots, having crossed the Bay of Biscay. Its AIS signal, which had shown a destination of India due on October 20, was changed to show the Suez Canal. It shows an arrival at the canal on October 14.
Asked about the incident, a press spokesperson for the Kremlin denied knowledge of the ship and its cargo. Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, told reporters he was aware of the ship and called the efforts “piracy.” He said the ship was in “neutral waters,” and the seizure was “without any justification.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, however, said Europe is adopting a new “policy of obstruction” regarding the shadow fleet. He said even holding the tankers for hours or days could undermine the business model and announced a European-led “coalition of the willing” would meet to plan strategies to disrupt the shadow fleet.
The European Union, earlier this year, authorized members to challenge vessels to confirm their registry and provide proof of insurance. Estonia challenged this same tanker in April and held it based on a belief that its registry in Djibouti was false, as well as numerous deficiencies in a port state inspection. The ship, then using the name Kiwala, escaped on a technicality when Djibouti said it was providing registry, so the ship would have days to transition to a new flag.
AFP is quoting French military sources that highlight the transit of shadow fleet tankers along the coast is a common occurrence. It says between 10 and 15 shadow fleet vessels are sailing off the French coast each day.