PARIS: The French Navy said on Tuesday that authorities were investigating a possible infraction by the oil tanker Boracay, a vessel suspected of belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet” involved in the Russian oil trade.
The vessel is listed under British and European Union sanctions against Russia. It was detained by Estonian authorities earlier this year for sailing without a valid country flag. Shadow fleet tankers typically have opaque ownership and insurance and are often more than 20 years old.
The crude oil tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk on September 20, according to MarineTraffic data. It sailed through the Baltic Sea and over the top of Denmark before entering the North Sea and transiting west through the Channel.
Ship tracking data shows that the 2007-built tanker was being shadowed by a French warship after it rounded France’s northwestern tip, before altering course and heading east toward the French coast. It is currently at anchor near Saint Nazaire.
CREW FAIL TO PROVE VESSEL’S NATIONALITY
