French naval forces detain captain and first mate of tanker Boracay

French naval forces have detained the captain and first mate of the Benin-flagged tanker Boracay, which has been blacklisted by the European Union as part of sanctions against Russia"s "shadow fleet." The vessel was boarded off the western coast of France near Saint-Nazaire.

The operation was confirmed by Brest prosecutors and is based on charges that the ship"s crew failed to justify the vessel"s nationality and refused to cooperate with authorities. The Boracay was intercepted on Sunday while en route from Russia"s Primorsk port to India, carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil. The tanker has since been anchored for investigation.

This incident follows recent developments in international maritime security and sanctions enforcement. For more on related coverage, see previous reports on similar situations.