France – European Sanctions Enforcement

October 19, 2026October 19, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – Belarusian couple convicted for transporting euros

It is being reported that a Belarusian couple aged 40 and 39 have been convicted in absentia in relation to a stop of their vehicle conducted in August 2022.

The couple were stopped upon entering France from Switzerland and were found to have had an undeclared amount of €11,925, as well as a small amount of drugs.

The couple sought to explain that the euros were intended for a vehicle purchase, but could provide no evidence on this.

On the basis of the prohibitions in EU regulation 765/2006 against exporting EU currency to a Belarus person, the physical currency was confiscated and a fine of the same amount of €11,925 was imposed.

October 14, 2026October 14, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – French navy detains suspected false flag oil tanker in the Indian Ocean

On Monday the French Navy detained the oil tanker, the DF Peak, some 450 nautical miles south of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

The detention was confirmed by the French President on X.

The vessel is suspected of flying a false flag, and of being involved in the “illegal transportation of fuel”.

The vessel is reported to be sanctioned by all of United States, Canada, the EU, Ukraine, Switzerland, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

This is the first such reported action by an EU Member State in the Indian Ocean.

October 7, 2026October 7, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – five charged with fundraising for designated terrorist group

France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) is reported to have confirmed to the Associated Press that it has charged five individuals on suspicion of fundraising for the designated terrorist group Hamas.

The arrests were done by the General Directorate for Internal Security which is leading the investigation said to have commenced in April of this year.

The authorities are seeking the continued pre-trial detention of the two of the suspects.

July 6, 2026July 6, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – guilty plea for Tagor tanker owner leads to €1m fine and release

Further to our earlier post regarding the detention by the French authorities of the oil sanctioned shadow fleet tanker, the Tagor, on 2 July, the company owning the vessel pleaded guilty in a Brest court to failing to be flagged and a refusal to comply with an order.

The company was fined, and paid, a fine of €1m. Upon payment the vessel was released and the is now sailing for Istanbul.

Our European Vessel Seizure Tracker has been updated.

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – detention of oil tanker “Deliver” in the Mediterranean

President Macron has confirmed that the French Navy on Tuesday detained the oil tanker, the Deliver off the coast of Sicily.

The vessel was sailing from Primorsk in Russia and is reported to have been flying a Cameroonian flag.

The vessel has been been moved to an anchorage for inspections to take place.

Our Shadow Fleet detention tracker has been updated.

June 4, 2026June 4, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – captain of the sanctioned Tagor tanker arrested and under investigation

Further to our recent post on the seizure of the shadow fleet tanker, the Tagor, it has now been announced that that the vessel’s captain was arrested on 2 June, and was released from detention yesterday.

The captain has not been charged but investigations are ongoing. The prosecutor’s in the town of Brest is reported to have said the captain may face a custodial sentence of up to a year.

June 1, 2026June 1, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – seizure of sanctioned oil tanker, the Tagor

French President Macron has announced the seizure yesterday of the tanker the Tagor in the Atlantic. The British Royal Navy provided support.

It is reported that the vessel was en route from Murmansk, and so was presumably carrying cargo.

The vessel was in international waters some 400 nautical miles west of France, and is suspected of sailing under a false flag.

We have updated our Vessel Seizure tracker – here.

April 17, 2026April 17, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – owner of seized tanker admits no evidence of flag status and pays fine to secure release

Further to our earlier post, the owner of the “shadow fleet” vessel the MV Deyna, agreed in a Marseilles Court on Wednesday to pay an undisclosed fine for the release of the vessel.

The owner admitted that it had no evidence to support the vessel’s alleged Mozambique flag status.

Upon payment the vessel was released and is now reported to have left French waters.

April 13, 2026April 14, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – cement maker Lafarge and eight executives convicted of sanctions and terrorist financing breaches

Further to our earlier posts, a court in Paris had today handed down judgment in the long-running Lafarge prosecution.

The company has been convicted of breaches of the EU’s Syrian sanctions as well as terrorist financing and has been fined €1.125m as well as a separate fine of €4.57m for breach of sanctions.

Of the executives also being prosecuted:

– Bruno Pescheux (former director of the Syrian cement factory) received a 5-year jail term and was fined €225,000;

– Bruno Lafont (former Lafarge CEO) was sentenced to 6 years in jail and fined €225,000;

– Christian Herrault (former deputy Managing Director) was sentenced to five years in jail and fined €225,000;

– Frederic Jolibois (successor to Pescheux) was sentenced to three years in jail, two of which were suspended, and fined €80,000;

– Jacob Waerness was sentenced to 18 months in jail and fined €20,000 and a ban from entering France;

– Ahmad Al Jaloudi was sentenced to 2 years in jail and fined €20,000 and a ban from entering France;

– Amro Taleb, a Syrian intermediary, was sentenced to 3 years in jail and fined and fined €60,000 and a ban from entering France;

– Firas Tlass, tried in absentia, was convicted and sentenced to seven years in jail with a €225,000 fine and a ban from entering France.

It appears that a decision on the confiscation of the proceeds of crime in this case is awaited. The prosecution was seeking confiscation of €30m.

Some of the individual defendants have already indicated their intention to appeal.

April 1, 2026April 1, 2026 by Mark Handley

France – Chinese shadow fleet captain sentenced in absentia to a year’s jail

Further to our earlier post relating to the trial of the captain of the Boracay, the shadow fleet vessel seized by France in October 2025.

The trial has concluded with the Chinese national captain, Chen Zhangjie, sentenced to a year’s jail and ordered to pay a fine of €150,000.

As the captain was tried in absentia, the French authorities have issued an arrest warrant for him.

The offence that was the basis of the conviction was for failing to stop the Boracay when ordered to do so.