France Arrests Tagor Captain, Threatening €150,000 Fine Over False-Flag Oil Tanker
Updated
Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jun 3
France Arrests Tagor Captain, Threatening €150,000 Fine Over False-Flag Oil Tanker
3 articles · Updated · FRANCE 24 English · Jun 3
Summary
French prosecutors said the Russian captain of the Tagor was taken into custody Tuesday after the tanker was seized in the Atlantic and could face up to one year in prison and a €150,000 fine.
The French navy boarded the vessel on Sunday in international waters with British help after the captain refused orders, suspecting it was sailing under a false Cameroonian flag.
Authorities said the Tagor had left Murmansk and was heading for Limbe in Cameroon, while investigators suspect it was carrying Russian or Iranian oil in breach of sanctions.
The tanker is believed to be part of Russia's "ghost fleet," and prosecutors said the owner—still being identified—could face the same penalties, underscoring a wider crackdown on covert sanctioned-oil shipping.