India Seizes 3 Oil Tankers Near Mumbai

India has seized three oil tankers near Mumbai as part of a wider crackdown on illicit oil trade and ship-to-ship cargo transfers within its maritime zone. While authorities confirmed the action, they did not officially comment on reports linking the vessels to Iran.

The ships, Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia, were intercepted about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai earlier this month after suspicious movements were detected inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The vessels were later escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.

In a statement issued on February 17, the Press Information Bureau said the Indian Coast Guard dismantled an international oil smuggling network through a coordinated sea-air operation conducted between February 5 and 6.

Coast Guard ships carried out boarding operations on the three vessels, examining electronic records, verifying documents and questioning crew members. Investigators found that the syndicate allegedly relied on complex ship-to-ship transfers in international waters to conceal the origin of oil cargo and evade duties payable to coastal states.

Technology-driven maritime surveillance first flagged a motor tanker engaged in suspicious activity within the EEZ. Further digital tracking identified two additional vessels converging on it, prompting a coordinated interception.

Preliminary findings suggest the ships frequently changed identities to avoid detection. The vessels are expected to be handed over to Customs and other law enforcement agencies for legal proceedings.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control had sanctioned three vessels last year whose International Maritime Organisation numbers matched those seized. Shipping data indicated that two of the tankers had operational links to Iran. However, Iranian state media, citing the National Iranian Oil Company, reported that the seized ships and their cargoes were not connected to the company.

The enforcement action comes amid strengthening cooperation between India and the United States on sanctions compliance and maritime security. Authorities have expanded round-the-clock surveillance, deploying around 55 Coast Guard ships and 10–12 aircraft across key maritime zones.