Early on Sunday, June 14, at the English Channel, UK Royal Marine Commandos and the National Crime Agency, using Chinook helicopters, a frigate, and the Miniehubter DE46, apprehended Smyrtos, a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker flying the Cameroonian flag.
clandestine networks of aging, often unseaworthy vessels that use deceptive practices to smuggle sanctioned goods—primarily oil—while evading international regulators, tracking systems, and Western financial restrictions
On June 4, the oil ship Smyrtos, flying the Cameroonian flag, was loaded with more than 700,000 barrels of Russian crude bound for India at Ust-Luga, Russia. This oil tanker is a component of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, which is used to avoid restrictions on oil shipments that finance the conflict in Ukraine. In October 2025, Smyrtos was sanctioned by the UK and the EU.
Why the Cameroon link: Due to pressure from the EU, the tanker’s Cameroonian registration was revoked earlier this month. According to the Lloyd’s List website, Cameroon deleted Smyrtos and 35 additional shadow fleet ships from its register. Therefore, even though it was flying the flag when it was taken, it was technically unflagged.
According to Reuters.com, the captain, an Indian national named Ajay Pant, was charged with violating sanctions, and the taker has been detained off the south coast of England near Weymouth for an investigation.
Before EU diplomatic pressure compelled de-flagging last month, 36 sanctioned vessels were registered in Cameroon. The Smyrtos case demonstrates how Russian oil was transported under that banner.