French authorities have fined the sanctioned Tagor shadow fleet tanker €1 million (about US$1.1 million) and released the vessel after more than a month in detention following an investigation into its registration.
The 114,809 dwt crude oil tanker was boarded by French naval forces on May 31 while sailing in the Atlantic after authorities suspected it was operating under a false flag. Following the inspection, the vessel was escorted to the French coast as prosecutors opened a criminal investigation.
French prosecutors in Brest later accepted a plea agreement under which the vessel’s owner admitted responsibility and agreed to pay the €1 million fine. As part of the settlement, the owner also committed to obtaining a legitimate flag registration before the tanker resumes operations.
According to French authorities, the tanker had departed Murmansk, Russia, and had previously claimed registrations in Guinea, Madagascar and Cameroon, all of which investigators determined to be invalid. The vessel has already been sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States over its role in transporting Russian oil.
The Tagor is the fourth shadow fleet tanker detained by France since the country launched its crackdown in September 2025. All four vessels were eventually released after paying financial penalties, although the master of the first intercepted tanker was also prosecuted in absentia. France is currently continuing legal proceedings against another detained shadow fleet tanker, Discover, which was intercepted last week.
French President Emmanuel Macron has described the campaign as part of efforts to disrupt sanctions evasion by delaying vessels and increasing operating costs. France and several European partners have stepped up enforcement against ships suspected of transporting sanctioned Russian oil while sailing without valid registration or under fraudulent flags.
Russia has condemned the inspections as illegal and has accused Western countries of piracy. Moscow has also increased security measures for vessels linked to its oil exports, including naval escorts in some waterways and additional armed security aboard certain ships.
According to AIS data, Tagor remains off the French coast but is expected to depart shortly, broadcasting Istanbul as its next destination.
