Suspicious Shadow Tanker is Again Being Investigated, This Time by France
A suspicious shadow tanker that has already been investigated at least once this year is again being detained for further investigation. The French authorities confirmed to Reuters that the suspicious vessel now identifying as the Boracay (115,577 dwt), is anchored off Saint-Nazaire while prosecutors review the details.
The French authorities have not said what specific violations the vessel is being accused of, or what prompted the detention. Reuters reports the crew failed to provide proof of the vessel’s nationality and “failed to comply with orders.”
Built in 2007, the vessel was detained by Estonian authorities earlier this year. They registered that the ship had 40 deficiencies, mostly related to documentation and crew training. The primary issue was that the tanker, which was identifying as the Kiwala, could not confirm its registry in Djibouti. The flag service told the Estonians that the vessel’s registry had been canceled on January 1, 2025. The ship was detained for 15 days, but released when Estonia’s foreign ministry received information from Djibouti that it would accept the vessel until May 7. Estonian authorities said the ship had been released because it was in technical compliance and in a transition period.
The same tanker showed up at the Russian oil terminal in Primorsk, where it departed on September 20 laden with 750,000 barrels of Russian crude. The AIS signal reports the tanker was bound for Vadinar, India, using the name Pushpa and claiming registry in Benin.
Authorities identified the Pushpa as one of three vessels that were suspects in the September 22 incident when drones overflew the Copenhagen airport and disrupted flights. The tanker was approximately 70 nautical miles from Copenhagen at the time.
The French were shadowing the tanker as it transited out of the English Channel and began the trip along the coast. It is unclear when they stopped the ship, but the EU earlier this year authorized countries to inspect paperwork and insurance of the vessels traveling in their coastal waters.
Windward analyzed the vessel’s data and reports that this tanker started sailing in the shadow fleet in November 2022. Since then, they report the ship has had nine ISM managers, four registered owners, and three commercial controllers. It has claimed five different names and seven different flags.
The UK sanctioned the tanker in October 2024 for its involvement in the Russian oil trade. The EU followed suit and sanctioned the vessel in February 2025.
Reuters reports that prosecutors in Brest, France, are now reviewing information from the French Navy. The investigation into the shadow tanker is proceeding.