Cameroon denounces flag abuse by shadow fleet tanker Tagor

The tanker Tagor, which left the Russian port of Murmansk, was intercepted on May 31 about 740 kilometers west of Brittany under suspicion of illegally flying the Cameroonian flag. French naval forces escorted the vessel to France for further investigation.

Yaoundé Rejects Fraudulent Use of Its Flag

Cameroon’s Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe, declared in a national broadcast that the Tagor “does not appear in any official register of ships authorized to fly the Cameroonian flag.” He condemned the “fraudulent and abusive use of Cameroonian nationality attributes” and urged the international community to impose severe measures against such practices. Yaoundé also reiterated its commitment to overhaul and modernize its flag registry.

The official rebuke aims to dissociate Cameroon from any link to the vessel, which is categorized by maritime authorities as part of the so-called “ghost fleet”—ships used to transport sanctioned oil onto global markets. The incident underscores the vulnerability of national flag registries to exploitation by actors attempting to evade oversight.

France’s Fourth Interception Since September 2025

French maritime forces have intercepted four such vessels since September 2025, with the Tagor being the latest. After inspections, the case was handed over to the Brest public prosecutor’s office, which specializes in maritime affairs. Since June 2, the tanker has been anchored in Douarnenez Bay in the Finistère department as part of an ongoing judicial inquiry. The increase in such interceptions demonstrates tighter European controls on oil export routes that bypass international sanctions.