A tanker suspected to be part of the Russian shadow fleet was escorted to southern France by the French Navy and placed at the disposal of judicial authorities, according to the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture.
The vessel is anchored in the Gulf of Fos, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Marseille, as reported by marine traffic monitoring systems.
The tanker, named Grinch, was intercepted on Thursday morning in international waters in the Alboran Sea, located between Spain and North Africa. French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the operation was conducted with assistance from several allies, including the United Kingdom.
On Saturday afternoon, the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture confirmed that the tanker was being escorted by assets from the French Navy.
The authorities have stated that the vessel is now anchored and made available to the Marseille public prosecutor as part of a preliminary investigation into alleged violations of maritime registration regulations.
A communiqué from the Maritime Prefecture further outlined that exclusion zones have been established around the Grinch’s anchorage at the Marseille-Fos oil terminal in Fos-sur-Mer to ensure safety and prevent unauthorised access.
Security measures have been implemented to facilitate investigations under appropriate conditions, the statement added. The Marseille public prosecutor, together with maritime police investigators, is conducting further checks on the case.
The oil tanker Grinch, measuring 249 metres in length, appears under this name on the UK sanctions list of Russian shadow fleet vessels. However, it is listed as Carl in records maintained by the European Union and the United States.
A total of 598 vessels suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet are currently subject to EU sanctions.
