Captain of seized tanker DF Peak released from custody as French inquiry continues

The Chinese captain of the tanker DF Peak was released from police custody on the morning of Friday 16 October and returned to the ship, the Saint-Denis prosecutor's office in Réunion said, according to Outremers360, citing AFP. He had been held since Thursday on suspicion of failing to justify the vessel's nationality during an inspection at sea, an offence carrying up to two years in prison, a €300,000 fine and confiscation of the ship. Prosecutor Véronique Denizot said investigations were continuing. The tanker, boarded by the French Navy on 12 October, remains under an immobilisation order in the Baie de La Possession, its other 20 crew aboard. Zinfos974 reports that investigators are seeking to identify the ship's owner and manager.

This is a summary in our own words of the linked reporting. Allegations are those of the source. How we report.