BREST: A tanker from Russia’s “shadow fleet” detained by the French navy headed towards the Suez Canal on Friday with its captain back on board, according to data from maritime websites and a source close to the case.

The Boracay, blacklisted by the European Union for being part of Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet” of aging oil tankers, has been linked to mysterious drone flights over Denmark last month.

It had been boarded by French authorities on Saturday and its captain and first mate detained.

But it resumed its journey Thursday evening and was off the coast of western France on Friday morning, data from vessel tracking websites Marine Traffic and Vesselfinder showed.

The tanker’s Chinese captain, who had been due to appear in a French court in February over failing to comply with orders from the French navy, and first mate were back on board, a source close to the case said.

“They were brought back to their ship after being released from custody,” the source added.

Piracy

French prosecutors said Thursday the vessel was stopped over inconsistencies in where it was officially registered while it was carrying a “large cargo of oil” from Russia to India. It claims to be flagged in Benin.

The ship has been linked to the series of mysterious drone flights over Denmark last month, including military sites, part of a recent spate of drone sightings and airspace violations in European countries blam­­ed on Russia. Moscow deni­­es responsibility.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2025