A shadow fleet tanker seized in French waters has been released after its owner admitted falsifying the vessel's flag registration and paid a fine in a Marseilles court. The case highlights ongoing enforcement actions against vessels attempting to circumvent international sanctions through deceptive maritime practices.

French authorities have detained and fined a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker operating in violation of international sanctions. The vessel's owner faced charges for failing to comply with maritime regulations and refusing to follow official orders, resulting in significant financial penalties before the ship's release.

Le règlement n° 833/2014 du 31 juillet 2014 impose à certains établissements financiers russes des restrictions d’accès au marché des capitaux.

In an earlier post we reported on the ongoing trial of the captain of the ship the "Baltic Leader", who was being prosecuted in Rouen for alleged breaches of the EU's Russian sanctions.

After seizing the oil tanker the "Grinch" in international waters last week, the vessel is now anchored off Foss-sur-Mer in the south of France.

French authorities have arrested the captain of the shadow fleet tanker Tagor following the vessel's seizure, marking a significant enforcement action against sanctions evasion.

The French Navy has intercepted a Russian oil tanker operating under a Cameroonian flag off the coast of Sicily, marking another enforcement action against vessels suspected of evading international sanctions.

France's ACPR has issued a press release making public a fine of €600,000 imposed on Banque Delubac.

French President Macron has announced the seizure of the tanker Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 400 nautical miles west of France. The vessel, which was en route from Murmansk and suspected of sailing under a false flag, was intercepted in international waters with support from the British Royal Navy.

After a six-week trial, verdict in the Lafarge prosecution is now expected on 13 April 2026.

It has been widely reported (e.g. here and here) that the French military boarded and seized control of an oil tanker reputed to to be part of the "shadow fleet".

The French media regulator, Arcom, has issued an order to Eutelsat ordering it to cease the broadcasting of two channels owned...

On 4 November, the US Justice Department issued a press release following the extradition from France of Yana Leonova to face charges...

The trial has concluded with the Chinese national captain, Chen Zhangjie...

Further to our earlier post on the French seizure of the "shadow fleet" tanker "Boracay" off western France in September 2025, it is now being reported that the trial of the captain is due to commence on Monday.

On Friday the French authorities, with British Royal Navy support, boarded and seized the tanker the MV Deyna which was sailing from Murmansk to Port Said. It was off the coast of Algeria in the western Mediterranean at the time of the boarding.

On October 10, 2024, the French Ministry of Armed Forces released an FAQ relating to a Non-Re-Exportation Certificate (NRC), available in French here (FAQ).

La deuxième session de la nouvelle Task Force Compliance créée par l'European American Chamber of Commerce Auvergne Rhone-Alps en partenariat avec Soulier Avocats se déroulera le 8 juin prochain.

A Paris court has delivered its verdict in the landmark Lafarge prosecution, convicting the French cement company and eight former executives of terrorist financing and sanctions violations related to operations in Syria. The case resulted in substantial fines for the company and prison sentences ranging from 18 months to seven years for the convicted executives, with several defendants already signaling their intent to appeal.

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