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French authorities have detained the oil tanker Grinch in the Mediterranean Sea and placed the vessel’s captain in custody as part of an investigation into suspected breaches of sanctions related to Russian oil trade.
The tanker was intercepted by the French Navy and diverted to anchorage in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille. Following the diversion, the ship’s 58-year-old captain, an Indian national, was handed over to judicial authorities for questioning, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said. The remaining crew, also Indian nationals, remains onboard the vessel.
The case is being investigated by the Maritime Gendarmerie’s Investigation Unit in Toulon, working alongside the Marseille Ship Safety Centre. Authorities are examining whether the tanker was sailing without a valid flag and whether its registration and navigation documents complied with international maritime requirements.
The Grinch had arrived from Murmansk, in northwestern Russia, and is suspected by French authorities of being linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — vessels alleged to be used to transport oil while circumventing Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.
French military footage released earlier this week showed naval personnel boarding the tanker from a helicopter, underscoring the seriousness of the operation. While no formal charges have yet been announced, prosecutors said the investigation will determine whether the vessel was operating unlawfully at sea.
France has stepped up inspections and interventions involving tankers suspected of sanctions evasion, particularly vessels with opaque ownership structures, frequent flag changes, or irregular documentation. A similar boarding last year off France’s Atlantic coast led to criminal proceedings against another tanker captain, a case that drew diplomatic criticism from Russia.
The Grinch remains under detention as authorities continue to review the vessel’s status and documentation.
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