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The captain of an oil tanker called the Grinch, which was intercepted by the French navy in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday (January 22), has been detained under investigation to determine whether it was operating under a false flag, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said on Sunday (January 25), according to Reuters.
The vessel seized on Thursday was diverted to anchor near the port of Marseille-Fos on suspicion that it was part of a shadow fleet that allowed Russia to export oil despite European sanctions.
The 58-year-old Indian captain (an Indian citizen) has been detained as part of a preliminary investigation, Reuters reported, citing a statement from prosecutors, which did not mention Russia.
According to French authorities, the ship left Russia’s Murmansk Commercial Seaport in early January, sailing under the flag of the Comoros.
Other crew members, who are also Indian nationals, remain on board the ship while investigators verify the validity of the flag and the seized Grinch’s navigation documents, authorities added.
The EU has imposed a package of 19 sanctions on Russia to curb Moscow’s ability to continue its war against Ukraine, but Putin’s country has largely complied with the measures and continues to sell millions of barrels of crude oil to countries like its close allies India and China, usually at discounted prices.
Also Read: US Hints at Possible Rollback of India Tariffs as Russian Oil Imports Fall
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