French Court Convicts Chinese Tanker Captain for Sanctions Evasion

A French court in Brest has convicted Chen Zhangjie, the Chinese captain of the oil tanker Borocay, sentencing him to one year in prison and imposing a €150,000 fine. The judgment was delivered in absentia on Monday, with Chen currently at sea. The vessel was identified as part of a Russian "shadow fleet" allegedly transporting oil in violation of Western sanctions imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Borocay, which claimed Beninese registration, was approached by the French navy in international waters off western France on September 27. Authorities suspected it was carrying Russian oil to India at the time. The court issued an arrest warrant alongside the conviction. Shadow fleet vessels frequently engage in "flag-hopping," changing national registrations or using invalid flags to avoid detection and circumvent sanctions enforcement. This case highlights ongoing international efforts to monitor and penalize maritime activities that breach sanctions against Russia.