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France Releases Shadow Fleet Ship After Penalty Paid
17 Feb
Summary
- French authorities released the seized oil tanker GRINCH.
- A penalty of several million euros was paid by the vessel's owner.
- The tanker was suspected of aiding Russia's oil exports under sanctions.
The oil tanker GRINCH, previously seized by French authorities, has been permitted to leave territorial waters. This action followed the payment of a penalty amounting to several million euros by the vessel's owning company. The GRINCH was detained last month off the coast of Marseille, with suspicions it was involved in a shadow fleet operation.
This fleet is believed to facilitate Russian oil exports despite ongoing international sanctions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot remarked that evading European sanctions carries a significant price, asserting that Russia will no longer fund its war efforts unchecked through clandestine operations near French coasts.
The vessel had set sail from the Russian port of Murmansk in early January, flying the flag of Comoros. French authorities confirmed that the ship's owning company was penalized for failing to adequately justify the flag it was operating under.
