France Seizes Sanctioned Shadow Tanker in Mediterranean
The French Navy on Thursday, January 22, intercepted a sanctioned shadow tanker while it was sailing in the Mediterranean. The operation was carried out, French officials said, under United Nations regulations, and the vessel has been diverted to France for further inspection.
The Navy released pictures of two helicopters swooping in on the tanker named Grinch (115,635 dwt) and boarding the ship for an inspection of its documentation. The statement said the ship was on “the high seas” in the Alboran Sea, placing it east of Gibraltar and between Spain and Morocco.
French authorities reported they were working with Allies, including the United Kingdom, and suspected the ship was flying a false flag. Databases show the Grinch as built in 2004 and claiming a registry in Comoros, which is listed as false. The tanker is reported to be owned by a shell corporation registered in the Marshall Islands. No inspections have been reported since December 2023, and the Indian Registry of Shipping reports class was withdrawn, with renewal listed as overdue since October 2025.
The tanker loaded in Murmansk, Russia, at the end of 2025, and made its way to the Mediterranean. Its last AIS signal says “for orders.” The tanker was sanctioned by the United States in January 2025 for violations of the G7 price cap on Russian oil, and that was followed by the EU in February and the UK in July. Canada and Switzerland have also sanctioned the tanker.
French troops conducting the inspection on the bridge of the Grinch (French Joint Staff)
French authorities said the inspection team confirmed suspicions regarding the legitimacy of the flag being flown and reported the matter to the Public Prosecutor in Marseille.
The tanker was being escorted by the French Navy to an anchorage. They said it would undergo further investigation. Officials are saying the vessel has a crew made up of Indian nationals.
President of France Emmanuel Macron has been advocating since last fall for interrupting the operations of the shadow tanker fleet, saying holding the vessels even for a few days would disrupt the operation. In September, France detained but later released the shadow fleet tanker Boracay, also on suspicion of operating under a false flag. The captain was ordered to appear before a French court.
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“We will not tolerate any violation,” wrote Macron, announcing today’s action. “We will let nothing pass,” he asserted.
The British have also threatened in recent days to increase their enforcement efforts on the shadow fleet, to which Russia cautioned and, in the past, has called the actions piracy. The European Union increased its regulations last year, authorizing member states to inspect vessels’ documentation and proof of insurance even if they were only transiting waters and not making port calls.
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