Britain finds a law allowing it to detain shadow fleet vessels

The UK government has identified legal grounds that, in its view, allow the British military to board and detain vessels of the so-called shadow fleet. This was reported by BBC News.

According to British ministers, the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2018 could be used to authorize the use of military force.

As the BBC has learned, there are plans to use these powers by the armed forces — inside the government, this is described as intensifying actions against the ships.

It is not yet known exactly when the first military actions by the United Kingdom may take place.

So far, no British servicemen have directly boarded the vessels, but in recent weeks, government officials have been actively considering possible responses.

The government believes that the new legal mechanism can be applied to any sanctioned vessels that are not legally registered. According to officials, this would include the Marinera tanker.

On January 7, the US Coast Guard seized the Venezuelan-owned Marinera vessel, formerly known as Bella 1, during a crossing of the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland.

At the request of the United States, Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft and the Royal Navy's auxiliary vessel RFA Tideforce participated in the operation.

Minister of Defense John Healy said that the operation was carried out "in full compliance with international law," adding that Britain "will not stand idly by as criminal activity increases on the high seas."

In a speech to parliament on Wednesday, Gili said the government was stepping up action against the shadow fleet, developing additional military options, and strengthening coordination with allies. The definition of this legal mechanism was one of those options, according to BBC News.

• The United Kingdom has already imposed sanctions against more than 500 vessels, which it considers part of the shadow fleet and helping to finance hostile activities, including Russia's military aggression against Ukraine.
• The actions of Britain and its allies have put about 200 vessels out of service, most of which were operating without legitimate registration under a national flag.