Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 17: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has uncovered a major international oil smuggling operation in the western maritime region off Mumbai, intercepting three foreign vessels allegedly involved in illegal mid-sea oil transfers.

Officials said the vessels – Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia – were seized during a high-tech operation nearly 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai on February 5. The ships were reportedly sourcing cheaper oil from conflict-affected nations such as Russia and Iran and transferring it to motor tankers in international waters to evade taxes and duties imposed by coastal countries.

Suspicious identity changes

Preliminary investigations revealed that the vessels had allegedly changed their names and flags to conceal their identities. Authorities said their IMO numbers matched ships previously sanctioned by the United States.

However, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) denied any links to the intercepted ships.

Officials suspect the vessels were engaged in illegal ship-to-ship transfers in open seas, bypassing regulatory oversight and generating substantial illicit profits.

High-tech surveillance and interception

The operation was triggered after the Coast Guard’s advanced monitoring systems detected suspicious activity by a motor tanker operating within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Subsequent digital analysis and maritime data tracking helped identify two additional vessels allegedly involved in the smuggling network.

A specialised boarding team carried out detailed inspections, including scrutiny of electronic navigation data, verification of shipping documents and questioning of crew members. The investigation reportedly exposed the full modus operandi of the operation.

Further probe into the network and its international links is underway, officials added.