Cameroon rebukes ghost fleet tanker Tagor for flag fraud
The tanker Tagor left Murmansk and was intercepted on May 31 about 740 km west of Brittany, suspected of fraudulently using Cameroon’s flag, then redirected to France.
| Sectors | Oil, Transport & Storage |
|---|---|
| Themes | Policy & Geopolitics, Sanctions |
| Countries | France, Cameroon, Russia |
On May 31, the tanker Tagor was stopped roughly 740 kilometres (400 nautical miles) west of Brittany on suspicion of illegally using Cameroon’s flag. The ship had set sail from Murmansk, Russia, with Limbe, Cameroon as its reported destination. French naval forces conducted a nationality check under UNCLOS Article 110 and then escorted the vessel to France.
Yaoundé Condemns Fraudulent Use of Its Flag
Cameroon’s Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe, read a statement on public radio asserting that the Tagor “does not appear in any of the official registers of vessels authorized to fly the Cameroonian flag.” He denounced the “fraudulent and abusive use of Cameroonian nationality attributes” and urged the international community to take strong action against such practices. Yaoundé also reaffirmed its commitment to cleaning up and modernising its flag registry.
This official statement serves to distance Cameroon from any link to a ship that maritime experts classify as part of the ‘ghost fleet’ — vessels that transport sanctioned oil to global markets. The incident underscores how national flag registries can be exploited by those trying to bypass regulatory oversight.
France’s Fourth Interception Since September 2025
The interception of the Tagor is the fourth operation of its kind since September 2025 aimed at this opaque fleet. After inspections, the case was referred to the Brest public prosecutor’s office, which handles maritime matters.
Since June 2, the tanker has been anchored in Douarnenez Bay, Finistère, as part of an ongoing judicial inquiry. The increasing frequency of such interceptions highlights Europe’s tightening controls on oil export channels that circumvent international sanctions.
