The captain of a tanker suspected in connection with drone alerts in Denmark is to stand trial in France, accused of failing to comply with instructions during an inspection, the local public prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
The captain and his first officer were taken into police custody on Wednesday, also charged with failing to provide proof of the ship’s nationality.
The preliminary investigation against the first officer has been dropped, while the prosecutor’s office in the French city of Brest said the captain cannot be blamed personally for the charge of failing to provide the nationality of the ship.
The investigating authority did not say what would happen to the ship, which, according to prosecutors is not sailing under any flag under international law.
The French Navy inspected the tanker Boracay on Saturday off the Breton island of Île d’Ouessant due to inconsistencies regarding its flag.
On Thursday morning, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu wrote that the ship was anchored off Saint-Nazaire, where French media said it was detained. The public prosecutor’s office did not comment on this in detail.
The ship, formerly known as Pushpa, appeared to be on its way from Russia to India transporting oil, the office said, and could belong to Moscow’s sanctions-evading shadow fleet.
The tanker had reportedly passed through Danish waters when drones caused multiple disruptions at Danish airports last week.
The source of the repeated drone sightings in Denmark remains unclear. Danish investigators suspect a “capable actor” – someone with both the skills and potential intent to cause unrest in the NATO country.
Suspicion quickly fell on Russia, which dismissed the accusations as “baseless.”
It is also suspected that the drones may have been controlled from a ship. Danish media have mentioned several ships, including the Boracay.