The prosecutor’s office in Brest said on the 3rd that the captain of a Russian
oil tanker intercepted earlier by the French navy has been held since the 2nd.
The maritime gendarmerie carried out the detention. The Russian national is
accused of commanding a vessel not flying a flag and refusing to cooperate with
law enforcement at sea; he faces up to one year in prison and a €150,000 fine,
and the vessel may be seized. The shipowner’s identity is still being verified.