Is sailing in a dinghy off the coast of France punishable by imprisonment?No need for the SAS, I would set up a fleet of private rescue boats to assist them with their return while still in French waters. I'd give the government change for £60M also. I reckon there is some ground for a private company to leverage article 73 of the Code de procédure pénale.
The code to which you refer (in English obviously)
In the case of a flagrant crime or a flagrant offense punishable by imprisonment, any person has the authority to apprehend the perpetrator and bring him before the nearest judicial police officer.
Not to mention the possible tragic circumstances of people abandoning ship to avoid such apprehension, and the international furore that would cause.