Italian military personnel conducted an inspection of the oil tanker Toa Payoh, which is subject to European Union sanctions and part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet." This was reported by Italy's Ministry of Defense.
The inspection was intended to verify the legitimacy of the flag under which the vessel operates. The tanker uses the flag of Cameroon.
The operation lasted approximately two hours with support from a Greek military ship and a Polish patrol aircraft and concluded without incident. Analysis of the information and documents obtained during the vessel inspection is currently underway.
How the detention proceeded
The vessel departed from the port of the African country Benin on July 16 and was heading to Istanbul. It was intercepted west of the island of Pantelleria in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to Italy's Ministry of Defense, the tanker's captain initially did not cooperate with military personnel. Following this, a group of Italian military personnel was deployed by helicopter to the vessel to conduct the necessary inspection.
The inspection was carried out in international waters in accordance with Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"This operation once again confirms Italy's concrete contribution to the security of the Mediterranean and the implementation of European Union policy," stated Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
Scale of the scheme
Russia uses a "shadow fleet" to circumvent Western sanctions and export oil, with proceeds from sales remaining a source of funding for the war against Ukraine. Inspections of such vessels complicate the operation of this scheme.
- On June 25, France detained a tanker carrying Russian oil near Sicily, which also sailed under the Cameroonian flag.
- The agreed 21st package of EU sanctions against Russia will allow member states to confiscate and sell Russian oil transported by detained "shadow fleet" vessels.
The Cameroonian flag has appeared in cases involving detained tankers for the second time in a month—the question is whether the African country will begin responding to misuse of its registry, or whether the scheme involving fictitious flags will continue to operate.
