France, Feb. 25 -- Chen Zhangjie, a 39-year-old ship captain, went on trial in Brest, north‑western France, on Monday for allegedly failing to obey orders from law enforcement when his ship, the Boracay, was intercepted by the French Navy last September. Chen did not attend the hearing in person but was represented by his lawyer, Henri de Richemont of the Richemont-Delviso law firm.

The case comes amid France's intensified campaign to prevent sanctioned oil tankers from operating off its coast. In recent months, French authorities have seized two such vessels - theBoracayandtheGrinch.

The Boracay, which has repeatedly changed name and flag, was suspected of belonging to the network of tankers used to move Russian oil in breach of ...