France arrests Russian captain of Moscow-linked oil tanker
France 24 • • world
Key Points:
- French authorities have detained the Russian captain of the oil tanker Tagor, seized in international waters on suspicion of flying a false flag and violating sanctions.
- The captain faces up to one year in prison and a 150,000-euro fine, with the shipowner potentially subject to the same penalties.
- The Tagor is suspected of carrying Russian or Iranian oil despite international sanctions and is linked to petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.
- The tanker was intercepted while traveling from Murmansk, Russia, to Limbe in Cameroon, falsely flying a Cameroonian flag.
- The detention involved cooperation between the French navy and British forces, highlighting efforts to enforce sanctions against sanctioned oil shipments.