UK can legally stop shadow fleet tankers, ministers believe

The government has identified a legal basis that could be used to allow the UK military to board and detain ships in so-called stay-behind fleets, BBC News has learned.

Russia, Iran and Venezuela are accused of operating ships without a valid national flag to evade oil sanctions.

Last week British armed forces assisted US troops in seizing Marinera oil tankerAmerican officials accused it of transporting oil to Venezuela, Russia and Iran and evading US sanctions.

No British military personnel have ever boarded any ship, but officials have spent the last few weeks investigating what measures could be used.

Sanctions and Money Laundering Act Ministers believe it could be used to approve the use of military force from 2018.

It appears that the armed forces have plans to use these powers in what has been described within the government as increasing actions against ships.

It is not known exactly when the UK’s first military action might take place.

Two oil tankers subject to US sanctions were reportedly seen sailing eastwards across the English Channel towards Russia on Thursday.

There is England sanctions already imposed It’s about more than 500 shadow ships believed to have helped finance hostile activities, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ministers say the measures taken by Britain and its allies have forced them to remove nearly 200 ships from the sea, many of which will be operating without a legitimate flag.

Ship flagging is the process used to register a ship with a specific country, which then allows it to sail in international waters and offers it certain protections under the law.

The government believes that the new legal mechanism they have identified can be applied to all sanctioned ships that are not legally flagged.

Officials say this number includes the Marinera tanker seized last week.

Marinera, a Venezuela-bound ship formerly known as Bella 1 Stopped by US Coast Guard While passing through the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Scotland.

The Ministry of Defense said that the US requested assistance from the UK and that RAF surveillance aircraft and the Royal Navy support ship RFA Tideforce participated in the operation.

Defense Secretary John Healey said the action was “fully in line with international law”, adding that the UK “will not stand by and watch as malicious activity escalates on the high seas”.

Healey told MPs on Wednesday that the government was “stepping up actions against the shadow fleet, developing further military options and strengthening coordination with allies”.

Determining this legal mechanism appears to be one of the other military options Healey mentioned.

US steps up actions against shadow fleet ships Five tankers have been seized in recent weeks.

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “The defense minister declared in parliament this week that deterring, disrupting and humiliating the Russian stay-behind fleet is a priority for this government.”

They added: “We will not be commenting on specific operational planning.”

The number of insurance checks has been increased, with more than 600 ships stopped sailing near the British Isles, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said on Sunday.

Ships that are not legally flagged often have no insurance, and experts warn it could lead to a crisis if they were involved in an incident such as an expensive oil spill.

However, Alexander said it would not be appropriate to say how many shadow ships were known to be sailing in British waters.

He told Sky News: “Giving you this information will only help one person and that is President Putin.”