France detains captain of suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker seized in Mediterranean

The captain of a tanker intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea by the French navy on suspicion of shipping oil in violation of sanctions against Russia was being held in custody on Sunday for questioning. The ship’s Indian captain, 58, was handed to judicial authorities following the diversion of the oil tanker, Grinch, and its arrival at anchorage in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, the Marseille prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The investigation is being conducted by the Maritime Gendarmerie’s Investigation Unit in Toulon, jointly with the Marseille Ship Safety Centre, on charges of failure to fly a valid flag, according to the statement, which added that the crew, also of Indian nationality, was being kept on board.