general
France convicts Chinese captain of tanker linked to Russian shadow fleet
A Brest court sentenced Chinese captain Chen Zhangjie in absentia to one year and fined him €150,000 after the French navy boarded the tanker Boracay in September on suspicion of carrying Russian oil as part of a sanction-evasion shadow fleet.
Mar 30th 2026 · France
Insights
- Chen Zhangjie, 39, was sentenced in absentia to one year in prison and fined €150,000.
- A French court in Brest issued an arrest warrant for Chen.
- The French navy boarded the tanker Boracay in international waters off western France on September 27.
- The Boracay claimed to be flagged in Benin and was suspected of carrying Russian oil to India as part of a shadow fleet.
- Vessels in the shadow fleet frequently change flags or sail under invalid flags to evade sanctions and tracking.
- Russian president Vladimir Putin condemned the boarding as piracy and France released the vessel and its crew days later.