Cameroon condemns ghost fleet tanker tagor for flag fraud

On May 31, the tanker Tagor was stopped about 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of Brittany on suspicion of illegally using a Cameroonian flag. The ship had set sail from Murmansk, Russia, with Limbe, Cameroon, as its reported destination. French naval forces conducted a nationality check under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and later escorted the vessel to France.

Yaoundé condemns fraudulent use of its flag

Cameroon’s Transport Minister, Jean Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe, publicly declared on national radio that the Tagor is not listed in any official registry of vessels entitled to fly the Cameroonian flag. He denounced the ‘fraudulent and abusive’ use of Cameroon’s nationality attributes and urged the international community to implement strong measures against such violations. The minister also reiterated Cameroon’s dedication to ongoing efforts to clean up and modernize its flag registry.

This official statement seeks to dissociate Cameroon from a vessel that maritime experts classify as part of the ‘ghost fleet’—ships that transport sanctioned oil to global markets while evading detection. The incident underscores how easily national flag registries can be exploited by those aiming to bypass regulatory controls.

France’s fourth interception since September 2025

Maritime officials report that the Tagor incident is one of several French actions against this shadow fleet, marking the fourth interception since September 2025. After inspections, the case was handed over to the Brest public prosecutor’s office, which handles maritime affairs.

Since June 2, the Tagor has been anchored in Douarnenez Bay, Finistère, while a judicial probe continues. The growing number of at-sea interceptions highlights Europe’s tightening grip on oil export routes that try to circumvent international sanctions.