France seized the DF Peak oil tanker in the Indian Ocean. This tanker, owned by the Hong Kong-based shipping company Ding Feng Shipping, has been identified as suspicious due to claims of registration in Benin and connections to fuel smuggling.
Details of the Seizure Operation
The seizure operation took place on Monday, over 450 nautical miles south of Réunion. French naval forces landed on this tanker, which weighs 110,119 tons, using a helicopter. French officials expressed serious concerns about the validity of the ship's documents, and President Emmanuel Macron stated that the tanker is under investigation for a fake flag and illegal activities in fuel transportation.
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Sanctions and Links to Russian Oil Exports
The DF Peak tanker, which previously operated under the name NS Captain for the Russian state-owned company Sovcomflot, has been under European Union sanctions since its construction in 2006 and is also on the blacklist of Washington and London. Information obtained from Ukrainian intelligence agencies links this tanker to the export of Russian crude oil.
This seizure operation follows several similar actions by France against tankers associated with Russia in European waters. For instance, in June, the tanker Deliver was stopped near Sicily. The overall aim of these actions is to combat shadow vessels engaged in illegal fuel supply activities.
Macron emphasized that France will continue to fight against such activities anywhere in the world, and this operation was conducted under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This article allows member states to inspect vessels suspected of lacking valid nationality.
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