MARSEILLE, France, Jan 23 (Reuters) – The French navy has diverted the “GRINCH” oil tanker it detained on Thursday towards the port of Marseille-Fos for further investigation, a source close to the investigation told Reuters on Friday.
The navy had intercepted the tanker, which had left Murmansk in early January, on suspicion of operating under a false flag and belonging to the “shadow fleet” that enables Russia to export oil despite sanctions, shortly after it crossed into the Mediterranean Sea through the Straits of Gibraltar.
The case is being investigated by the prosecutor of Marseille, who handles matters related to maritime law. The tanker was sailing under a Comoros flag.
(Reporting by Marc Leras and Alessandro Parodi, editing by Inti Landauro)
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