By Ntaryike Divine Jr. (The African Digest)
France’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture says it has intercepted a tanker allegedly operating under a false Cameroonian flag, in the latest crackdown on vessels suspected of helping Russia evade international sanctions.
The tanker, Tagor, was arrested and boarded by the French Navy on May 31 in the Atlantic Ocean, more than 740 kilometres west of Brittany, during an operation conducted with support from several international partners, including the United Kingdom.
French authorities said an inspection of the vessel’s documents confirmed suspicions that the ship was irregularly displaying Cameroon’s flag. The case, the authorities add, has been referred to prosecutors in Brest, who have opened an investigation.
According to French officials, the tanker had departed from Murmansk in Russia and was reportedly bound for Limbe on Cameroon’s southwest coast. Maritime authorities said the vessel had changed flags several times in recent months and was nearly empty when intercepted.
Tracking data showed that only a week earlier, the ship had been sailing off the Norwegian coast under a Madagascan flag before allegedly switching to Cameroon’s colors.
French prosecutors said the captain repeatedly refused to comply with instructions from the French Navy, forcing authorities to take control of the vessel. The tanker has been escorted to an anchorage while further checks are carried out.
The incident places Cameroon at the center of a growing international effort to combat Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet;” a network of vessels accused of circumventing Western sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
In an online outing, French President, Emmanuel Macron, defended the operation, saying ships that violate maritime regulations and sanctions regimes pose risks to international security, navigation and the environment. The interception is the fourth such operation conducted by France since September 2025 against vessels suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet.
Russia condemned the action, with Kremlin spokesman describing it as illegal and bordering on “international piracy”.
For Cameroon, the case raises concerns about the alleged misuse of its national flag by foreign vessels, a practice that could expose the country to greater scrutiny within international maritime circles and potentially affect its reputation in global shipping.
