On Sunday, the sanctioned tanker “Toa Payoh” was inspected as part of an EU naval operation. The operation proceeded peacefully. It was the second inspection in a short space of time.
Europe is stepping up inspections of ships suspected of carrying sanctioned oil. Following the “South Star” forces from the EU naval operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini, which is under Italian command, have targeted another tanker.
The “Toa Payoh” (30,083 GT, 50,922 dwt), a 183-metre-long chemical and oil tanker, was en route from Benin to Turkey. The vessel was intercepted near the Sicilian island of Pantelleria, and mission personnel boarded the tanker to carry out an inspection.
The reason for this was that the “Toa Payoh”, which is subject to EU sanctions, had only changed its flag to that of Cameroon last week. The inspection was intended to determine whether the tanker was authorised to fly that flag and whether its registration documents were valid. This is according to reports by the Reuters news agency.
The tanker’s captain is said to have been uncooperative, prompting an Italian military team to board the vessel by helicopter. They took off from the frigate “Thaon di Revel”, the mission’s flagship. The inspection was accompanied by a Greek vessel and a Polish maritime reconnaissance aircraft. It lasted around two hours and proceeded without incident, the Italian Ministry of Defence told Reuters.
The “Toa Payoh” could not be detained
The forces involved were not authorised to seize the vessel as part of the mission; consequently, the “Toa Payoh” was not detained. However, the documents seized may be subject to further examination. This means that national authorities may subsequently seize the tanker.
The operation follows the search of the tanker “South Star” (22,531 GT, 39,817 dwt). Irini forces also boarded the vessel on suspicion that it might be sailing under a false flag. The tanker is registered under the flag of Equatorial Guinea.
EUNAVFOR MED Irini is a naval operation launched in 2020. Its primary objective is to enforce the UN arms embargo against Libya. Its primary area of operations is therefore the Libyan and Tunisian coasts, extending as far as Sicily and Greece. EU governments have extended the mission’s mandate so that Irini personnel are also authorised to board vessels for inspection purposes.
The German Armed Forces are also involved in the mission; the mandate currently runs until 31 March 2027 and is subject to renewal. A maximum of 300 soldiers may be deployed for EUNAVFOR MED Irini.
