France’s crackdown on Russia’s 'shadow fleet' stepped up on Monday as prosecutors in the port city of Brest demanded a one‑year prison sentence and a €150,000 fine against the Chinese captain of the oil tanker Boracay for failing to comply with French Navy orders.
Chen Zhangjie, a 39-year-old ship captain, went on trial in Brest, north‑western France, on Monday for allegedly failing to obey orders from law enforcement when his ship, the Boracay, was intercepted by the French Navy last September.
Chen did not attend the hearing in person but was represented by his lawyer, Henri de Richemont of the Richemont-Delviso law firm.
The case comes amid France’s intensified campaign to prevent sanctioned oil tankers from operating off its coast. In recent months, French authorities have seized two such vessels – the Boracay and the Grinch.
The Boracay, which has repeatedly changed name and flag, was suspected of belonging to the network of tankers used to move Russian oil in breach of Western sanctions.
On 27 September, 2025, a French frigate requested permission to board the Boracay in international waters off western France to verify its flag status. The tanker was carrying Russian crude reportedly worth around $100 million, bound for India.
French authorities had already been alerted by Benin that no tanker of that name was registered under its flag.
According to statements read out in court, Chen initially told the French Navy that the ship sailed under the Benin flag, but explained during police custody that the flag had not been flown because it was raining.
The prosecution described a pattern of “deliberate obstruction” and argued that the captain had delayed the boarding under the pretext of waiting for instructions from the Hong Kong‑registered shipowner.
French Court to consider jurisdiction over captain of Russia 'shadow fleet' tanker
Possible Wagner links
French naval commandos eventually boarded the Boracay without resistance from the 26‑strong crew.
Among those on board were two Russian nationals employed by Moran Security Group, a Russian private security company which, according to French and European intelligence sources, provides protection teams to dozens of tankers in Russia’s shadow fleet.
One source – quoted by French news agency AFP – identified the “security crew” as Aleksander T. and Maksim D., adding that the latter was a former police officer who had worked for Russian mercenary group Wagner.
According to a “conformance certificate” published on the group’s website, it provides “maritime security, including armed security of the merchant fleet, vessels’ escorting, protection of sea ports” and other services.
The certificate lists the group’s address in Belize, while it is certified by the “Russian Federal Agency of Technical Regulation and Metrology” based in Moscow.
In his statement, Chen said that he did not know what the two Russians were doing on the vessel and said it was “not common” to have such personnel on board.
He also indicated that Russian security staff had already been present during a previous voyage in July. The two men disembarked in Suez several days after the French boarding.
Dark vessels: how Russia steers clear of Western sanctions with a shadow fleet
French prosecutors limited the case to the captain’s refusal to comply with orders. Allegations that the Boracay may have been linked to drone overflights near Danish airports in 2025 were not part of the charges, and no direct evidence has been made public to support that suspicion.
The European Union is preparing a 20th package of sanctions against Russia, including measures aimed at tankers and maritime services that help Moscow export oil despite restrictions.
France, which has already intercepted several suspected shadow fleet vessels in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, is pushing for a full ban on maritime services for Russian oil.
The Boracay now sails under the Russian flag as the Phoenix and was recently reported to be at anchor near the port of Rizhao in northeastern China.
The final decision of the court in Brest is expected on 30 March.
(with newswires)
