Stellar-Ruby

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.

The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has called attention to the fate of 19 crew members, 17 Indian nationals, one from Bangladesh and one from Ukraine, of the 'Global Peace', who have been abandoned on the tanker, which has been was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in April 2025, at the anchorage off Al Hamriyah in pos. 25° 30' N 055° 24' E, since approximately February. They have been aboard for as much as 15 months, well above the 11-month maximum in the Maritime Labour Convention. The sanctions were imposed against the UAE-based companies Prime Tankers and Glory International as part of the U.S.’s latest moves against the Iranian oil trade. The U.S. designated Indian national Jugwinder Singh Brar, who owns multiple shipping companies with a fleet of nearly 30 vessels, many of which operate as part of Iran’s shadow fleet, conducting ship-to-ship transfers and blending oil and products from shadow fleet vessels, smugglers, and fishing vessels, and selling the products illegally to fund Iran. The 'Global Peace' was acquired in 2021 for this trade. Its last known flag was the Cook Islands, but it currently has no known flag or insurance. The ITF has filed reports and listed the vessel in the joint abandonment database of the International Maritime Organization and International Labour Organization. The crew’s right to repatriation has been ignored, and their contracts referred to “fictitious ITF collective bargaining agreements.” The ITF was calling on the UAE authorities and others to intervene.

The 'GP B3' was arrested at Pipavav port by its mortgagee, the National Bank of Fujairah, on Sep 9, 2020. The Gujarat court granted an application by the vessel's manager, the Celestial Ship Management, to arrest the ship for unpaid invoices, on Sep 10. The Singapore-registered Celestial, which has managed five of GP Global's bunker vessels since March 2019, had filed a claim with the court on Sep 8 against the tanker and its ship owning entity, the GP B3 Shipping. The firm which undertakes technical management, crewing and other services for the owner claimed thatthe GP B3 Shipping fell behind on its monthly payments and had racked up just over 587.000 US $ in debt since April 2019, plus 1.400 US $in interest, according to a court order. GP Global, said in July 2020 that, it planned to restructure but strongly denied speculation it was in difficulties after failing to get full financial support from its lenders. The tanker remained moored in pos. 20° 53.87' N 071° 33.44' E as of Sep 18.