France Has Taken The Captain Of A Russian Tanker Into Custody

• 25.01.2026, 21:02

He is a citizen of India.

The Marseille prosecutor's office has announced the detention of the captain of the tanker Grinch, who is suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. Both the captain and other crew members are Indian nationals, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Besson told BFMTV.

It is noted that the captain was taken into custody on Saturday evening after the tanker anchored in the Gulf of Faux-sur-Mer. The French Navy, which detained the tanker, has handed the captain over to judicial authorities.

"The investigation is aimed at verifying the validity of the flag the tanker hung and the documents necessary for its navigation. The Grinch tanker displayed a false flag of the Comoros," the journalists' source said.

The oil tanker Grinch was detained on the morning of January 21 in the Mediterranean Sea between Spain and North Africa. The vessel was en route from Murmansk. The same vessel is reported to have the name Carl on the European and American lists of shady tankers.

BFMTV reported that the tanker was built in 2004 for the shady transportation of Russian oil products. The vessel was involved in exports to China and India. A total of 30 violations on this tanker have been confirmed by port inspections since 2022.