Jornal Do Brasilia - Suspected Russia 'shadow fleet' tanker bound for French port

French forces, with the help of allies, boarded the oil tanker called "Grinch" on Thursday between Spain and Morocco, after it started its journey from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk.

The tanker is now expected to arrive on Saturday morning at the port of Marseille-Fos in southern France, according to the same source.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced that the French Navy, with the support of allies, had intercepted a vessel "subject to international sanctions" and suspected of flying a false flag.

A ship called "Grinch" is under UK sanctions, while another called "Carl" with the same registration number is sanctioned by the United States and European Union.

Ship tracking websites marinetraffic and vesselfinder said the vessel had been flying a Comoros flag.

Images released by the French military showed masked soldiers boarding the Russia-linked ship in an operation involving a navy boat and two navy helicopters.

The vessel is suspected of being part of a shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.

The boarding is the second of its kind in recent months.

France in late September detained a Russian-linked ship called the Boracay, a vessel claiming to be flagged in Benin, a move Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned as "piracy".

The Boracay's Chinese captain is to stand trial in France in February.

C. Marques--JDB