France arrests Indian captain suspected of links to Russian 'submarine fleet'

Paris [France], January 26: French prosecutors said on January 25 that they had arrested the Indian captain of an oil tanker suspected of belonging to a 'submarine fleet' that allegedly transported Russian oil to evade sanctions.
The 58-year-old captain is the commander of the Grinch , the ship that was seized by the French navy in the Mediterranean on January 24 and is currently anchored under strict guard at a port near Marseille, in southern France, according to AFP on January 26.
According to the Marseille Public Prosecutor's Office, all remaining sailors (all Indian citizens) are being "detained on board" for questioning.
Authorities suspect Grinch is part of a " shadow fleet " of old oil tankers used to transport Russian oil to circumvent sanctions imposed by the West and the G7 group related to the Ukraine conflict.
Ships in this network are accused of frequently changing the flags flown on board - a practice known as "flag hopping" - and even using invalid flags to avoid detection and tracking.
The French Navy escorted the Grinch into the Gulf of Fos on January 24th. As of January 25th, the ship was anchored approximately 500 meters from the town of Martigues, protected by a naval vessel and two patrol boats. French authorities have established a no-fly zone at sea and in the air around the area
The European Union (EU) currently lists approximately 598 vessels suspected of belonging to Russia's "submarine fleet" on its sanctions list.
Officials said the Grinch, a 249-meter-long vessel, appears under this name on the UK's sanctions list, but is referred to as "Carl" on EU and US lists.
The TASS news agency, citing the Russian embassy in France, reported that Paris did not inform Moscow about the interception of the ship's signals.
Russian officials stated: "Currently, together with diplomats from the consulate in Marseille, we are trying to determine if there are any Russian citizens among the crew members in order to provide the necessary assistance."
India has not yet commented on this new information.
This is the second such interception operation by France in recent months. In late September 2025, France seized the Boracay, a vessel linked to Russia, an action condemned by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "piracy." The Chinese captain of the Boracay is scheduled to appear in court in France next February.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaer