Aljafzia

On Feb 6, 2026, the Indian Coast Guard 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 tankers, evading duties owed to coastal states. Acting on tech enabled surveillance and data-pattern analysis,the Coast Guard intercepted three suspect vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai as part of of a coordinated operation to dismantle an international oil-smuggling network linked to Iranian petroleum flows, the 'Chiltern', 'Asphalt Star' and 'Stellar Ruby'. The 'Asphalt Star' conducted a bunkering operation with the 'Stellar Ruby', which started on Feb 7, 2026, at 03:48 a.m. UTC, and lasted until Feb 8 at 08:46 a.m. Prior to the operation, the three tankers listed different Indian ports as their destinations, before all updating their AIS destination to Mumbai on Feb 8. All three vessels were listed under OFAC sanctions. Sustained rummaging, electronic data corroboration, and crew interrogation exposed the modus operandi and a global handler network. The vessels were known to frequently change identity, and were escorted to Mumbai for further legal action. A thorough investigation, including corroboration of electronic data onboard the vessels, verification of vessel and cargo documents, and interrogation of crew members, enabled authorities to piece together the smugglers' modus operandi.