French authorities have detained the 58-year-old Indian captain of the oil tanker Grinch after intercepting the ship in the Mediterranean and diverting it to the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer for inspection. Investigators are probing whether the vessel flew a valid flag and carried proper navigation documents; the Indian crew remain on board. The Grinch, which reportedly sailed from Murmansk, is suspected of belonging to a sanctioned Russian 'shadow fleet' accused of helping Moscow evade sanctions. The case follows a similar French boarding last September that drew condemnation from President Vladimir Putin.
France Detains Captain Of Tanker 'Grinch' Suspected Of Ties To Russia's Shadow Fleet
In this photo, provided by the French Army on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026, an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, is pictured after being intercepted by France's Navy. (Etat-Major des Armees via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
PARIS — French authorities detained the 58-year-old Indian captain of the oil tanker Grinch after the vessel was intercepted in the Mediterranean and diverted to an anchorage in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, the Marseille prosecutor's office said.
The captain was handed over to judicial authorities and was being held for questioning on Sunday. The Maritime Gendarmerie’s Investigation Unit in Toulon, working with the Marseille Ship Safety Centre, is leading the probe. Investigators said they are examining whether the tanker flew a valid flag and whether it carried the proper navigation documents.
According to the prosecutor’s statement, the ship’s crew — also reported to be of Indian nationality — remain on board while inquiries continue. A video provided by the French military showed navy personnel boarding the vessel from a helicopter earlier in the week.
In this photo, provided by the French Army on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026, France's Navy, working with intelligence provided by the United Kingdom, on Thursday intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet, officials said. (Etat-Major des Armees via AP)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Alleged Links To 'Shadow Fleet'
The Grinch is reported to have sailed from Murmansk in northwestern Russia and is suspected of being part of the so-called Russian 'shadow fleet' that Western officials say is used to evade sanctions connected to the war in Ukraine. France and other nations have pledged to step up enforcement against such networks.
Observers describe the shadow fleet as comprising largely aging tankers and other vessels registered to opaque entities in countries that do not impose sanctions, often sailing under flags of convenience.
"The purpose of the investigation is to verify the validity of the flag flown by the tanker and the documents required for its navigation," the Marseille prosecutor’s office said.
Related Case
In a related incident last September, French naval forces boarded another tanker off the Atlantic coast that President Emmanuel Macron said was linked to the shadow fleet. Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced that interception as "an act of piracy." French judicial authorities said the captain of that vessel is due to stand trial in February on allegations the crew refused to cooperate with investigators.
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