Indian Coast Guard busts international oil smuggling racket off Mumbai coast
New Delhi, February 7. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has dismantled an international oil smuggling network in a coordinated sea-air operation conducted on February 5-6, 2026, intercepting three suspect vessels off the western coast near Mumbai.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessels were stopped about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after ICG’s technology-enabled surveillance systems flagged suspicious activity involving a motor tanker operating within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A detailed digital investigation and analysis of vessel movement patterns subsequently revealed two additional ships converging on the tanker, raising suspicions of an illicit ship-to-ship transfer of oil-based cargo in international waters.
Specialist Coast Guard boarding teams carried out sustained searches of the vessels, examined electronic data recovered on board, verified shipping documents, and interrogated crew members. These efforts helped investigators reconstruct the smuggling operation and confirm that the syndicate was illegally transporting large volumes of oil originating from conflict-affected regions. The oil was allegedly moved by seagoing vessels and transferred mid-sea to motor tankers to evade customs duties owed to coastal states, including India.
Preliminary investigations suggest the smuggling network involved handlers operating across multiple countries, with vessel owners believed to be based overseas. Officials also found that the ships frequently changed their identities to avoid detection by maritime law enforcement agencies. Following confirmation of digital evidence through physical boarding, all three vessels were apprehended on February 5.
The seized vessels are expected to be escorted to Mumbai for further investigation and will be handed over to Indian Customs and other law enforcement agencies for legal action. The Ministry of Defence said the operation highlights the Indian Coast Guard’s expanding maritime presence and reinforces India’s role as a net security provider and a firm enforcer of the international rules-based order at sea.
