France arrests Russian captain of tanker linked to shadow fleet

French authorities have arrested the Russian captain of the Tagor, an oil tanker suspected of operating within Russia’s shadow fleet, following its interception by the French Navy in the Atlantic Ocean. The arrest was confirmed by Brest prosecutor Stéphane Kellenberger, who stated that the captain was taken into custody on Tuesday and faces potential penalties of up to one year in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros.

The vessel was detained on Sunday in international waters with assistance from British forces. French authorities allege that the ship was flying a false Cameroonian flag and had refused to comply with orders during the boarding operation. The Tagor was sailing from Murmansk in northwestern Russia and was reportedly heading towards Limbe, a coastal city in Cameroon, at the time of the interception.

Prosecutor Kellenberger indicated that the shipowner, whose identity is currently being established, may face similar penalties. The detention stems from suspicions that the tanker was carrying Russian or Iranian oil in violation of international sanctions. The vessel is part of a broader scrutiny of Moscow’s shadow fleet, a network of ships often used to circumvent export restrictions.

Open-source data from the database Opensanctions.org links the Tagor to petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, a former security adviser to Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Both men were reported killed on 28 February during the initial phase of the US-Israeli attacks that triggered the Middle East war.

The investigation into the shipowner’s identity and the specific contents of the cargo remains ongoing. French authorities continue to verify the allegations regarding the vessel’s ownership and its compliance with international trade regulations.