France is moving to tighten its grip on illicit tanker activity with plans to double penalties for vessels operating without proper flags or refusing to comply with authorities, in a clear escalation of efforts to curb Russia-linked shadow fleet operations. Under a draft update to the country’s military planning law, shipowners, operators and other responsible parties could face up to two years in prison and fines of €300,000 for breaches – double current levels. Penalties could rise to seven years and €700,000 if the safety of boarding personnel is put at risk. The move follows a series of interventions at sea, with French authorities boarding three suspected vessels since September amid suspicions they were transporting Russian oil in breach of Western sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine. Shadow fleet vessels are known for flag-hopping or sailing under invalid flags to evade detection, complicating enforcement efforts. In one recent case, a tanker approached off western France and initially refused to stop, delaying boarding procedures. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsFrance