Operation against shadow fleet continues

French naval forces intercepted the oil tanker Deliver this week after verifying it was operating under a falsified Cameroonian flag, in violation of international maritime laws. The interception follows similar operations against two other vessels—Tagor and Smyrtos—which were also found to be using fraudulent Cameroonian registrations earlier this month.

Document verification reveals irregularities

Upon boarding the Deliver, French authorities conducted thorough document checks that confirmed the vessel’s Cameroonian flag registration was irregular. This discovery triggered immediate sanctions from Cameroonian authorities, who had already blacklisted the ship following its association with the Tagor and Smyrtos incidents.

Russian shadow fleet linked to sanctions evasion

According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the Deliver is believed to be part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet—vessels used to circumvent Western sanctions imposed on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. Macron emphasized that this interception demonstrates Europe’s commitment to preventing such vessels from undermining international sanctions regimes.

«We will not allow the shadow fleet to bypass sanctions and fund Russia’s war machine,» Macron stated in a recent address. The interception near Sicilian waters underscores the growing coordination among European nations to disrupt these illicit operations.

Cameroon tightens maritime oversight

In response to the repeated misuse of its flag, Cameroon’s Ministry of Transport has taken decisive action. Over the past month, authorities have sanctioned and removed 39 vessels from the Cameroonian registry. These measures aim to conduct physical audits and digitalize fleet records to prevent fraudulent registrations and protect the integrity of Cameroon’s maritime flag.