Overview
- The Grinch was intercepted on January 22 in the western Mediterranean and held off Fos-sur-Mer for about three weeks during an inquiry into failure to fly a valid flag.
- Proceedings concluded under France’s CRPC process, with the Marseille judicial court imposing a financial penalty and confiscation measure, though officials did not disclose the amount.
- Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the owners paid several million euros and framed the case as a sanctions-enforcement action.
- The prefect lifted operational restrictions after the owner pledged to regularize the vessel’s flag, and authorities confirmed the tanker has exited French territorial waters.
- Russia denies any link to the ship, citing a Marshall Islands-registered owner and an Indian crew, while French statements place the case within a wider effort targeting tankers used to evade sanctions on Russian oil.