The French Navy detained the DF Peak tanker in the Indian Ocean, more than 450 nautical miles (one nautical mile equals 1,852 meters) south of Réunion Island.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced this on October 12 in a post on the social media platform X.
“France is determined to combat the ‘shadow fleet’ around the world,” Macron said. “This morning, naval forces boarded the oil tanker DF Peak, suspected of sailing under a false flag and being involved in the illegal transportation of fuel.”
According to Macron, the operation, carried out in accordance with international maritime law, demonstrates France’s determination to uphold the law and combat all forms of illicit trafficking, wherever they occur.
According to media reports, the tanker sails under the flag of Benin and was known as Kaliningrad until 2024. It is among approximately 700 vessels sanctioned by the European Union for their involvement in the trade of Russian oil.
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