Oil tanker involved in the smuggling racket off the Mumbai coast
| Photo Credit:
Indian Coast Guard social media post
The three oil tankers involved in the sea-smuggling racket off the Mumbai coast have been identified as US-sanctioned ships. The Indian Coast Guard busted this international oil-smuggling racket.
TankerTrackers.com, the US-based independent online service that tracks and reports shipments and storage of crude oil in several geographical and geopolitical areas of interest, identified the three ships as Al Jafzia (Nicaragua flag), Asphalt Star (Mali) and Stellar Ruby (Iran).
In January 2025, the former US President Joe Biden administration announced shipping sanctions over 180 vessels, and dozens of entities and individuals involved in Russian oil and gas trades and production.
The India Coast Guard on Saturday said that it busted an International oil-smuggling racket in a meticulously coordinated sea–air operation. The syndicate exploited mid-sea transfers in international waters to move cheap oil from conflict ridden regions to motor tankers, evading duties owed to coastal States.
Acting on tech-enabled surveillance and data-pattern analysis, ICG intercepted three suspect vessels about 100 NM west of Mumbai. Sustained rummaging, electronic data corroboration and crew interrogation exposed the modus operandi and a global handler network.
The vessels known to frequently change identity, are being escorted to Mumbai for further legal action, reinforcing India’s role as a net provider of maritime security and guardian of the rules-based international order, the ICG said in a social media post.
Published on February 8, 2026