Indian Coast Guard cracks down on international oil smuggling network in major sea-air operation

In a significant maritime security operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has dismantled an international oil smuggling racket through a carefully coordinated sea-air mission carried out off the Mumbai coast earlier this week.

The operation, conducted between February 5 and 6 , led to the interception of three suspect vessels nearly 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai and exposed an elaborate network involved in illegally transporting and transferring large quantities of oil sourced from conflict-affected regions.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the breakthrough came after the Coast Guard’s technology-driven surveillance systems detected a motor tanker behaving suspiciously inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A deeper digital investigation and analysis of vessel movement patterns revealed two more ships converging toward the tanker, raising red flags of a possible mid-sea transfer.

Coast Guard ships were immediately deployed and specialist boarding teams carried out extensive searches. Sustained rummaging of the vessels, verification of documents, interrogation of crew members, and scrutiny of electronic data helped establish the entire smuggling chain.

Preliminary findings show the syndicate used mid-sea ship-to-ship oil transfers to avoid customs duties and bypass maritime enforcement. The vessels reportedly changed identities frequently to evade detection, while handlers across multiple countries coordinated the sale and movement of cargo.

After confirming the illegal activity, all three vessels were apprehended and are likely to be escorted to Mumbai for further investigation. They will be handed over to Indian Customs and other law enforcement agencies for legal action.

Officials said the operation highlights how advanced digital surveillance combined with sea and air assets is strengthening India’s maritime vigilance. The success, they added, reinforces India’s role as a net security provider in the region and a firm enforcer of rules at sea.