PARIS, October 1. /TASS/. Several crew members from the Pushpa tanker, which was stopped off the coast of France, were detained and interviewed over suspected violations of maritime law, the Franceinfo radio reported.

The crew members were detained in the evening on October 1, after the French military boarded the vessel for an inspection. They are currently being questioned in connection with a case launched by prosecutors in France’s Brest.

Earlier, the Brest prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into the tanker stopped by the French Navy on suspicion of violating maritime law. The AFP news agency gave two names of the tanker in question - Pushpa and Boracay - and said that it was flying the flag of Benin. French prosecutors gave no information about the nature of alleged violations, saying only that their inquiry is looking into the possible "lack of justification for the ship or flag’s national affiliation" and "refusal to obey."

Commenting on the incident, French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters that the ship’s crew "has made very serious mistakes," which "necessitate an inquiry." In the context of the detention, he also mentioned the European Union’s ongoing effort against the so-called shadow fleet, allegedly transporting oil products from Russia.