Coast Guard busts massive oil-smuggling racket off Mumbai
The Indian Coast Guard just stopped a major international oil-smuggling operation off Mumbai's coast.
In February 2026, they intercepted three tankers about 100 nautical miles from the city, catching a syndicate that was sneaking oil through mid-sea transfers to dodge state taxes.
After the bust, police filed cases at Mumbai's Yellow Gate station.
These ships are US-sanctioned
The ships—Al Jafzia, Asphalt Star, and Stellar Ruby—are registered in Nicaragua, Mali, and Iran (and have even switched flags before).
TankerTrackers identified the three ships as US-sanctioned, and the Biden administration announced shipping sanctions in January 2025 covering about 180 vessels and entities linked to Russian oil and gas trades.
Right now, all three are anchored off Mumbai as investigators dig into who was behind this whole network.
The Coast Guard says this is a big step toward keeping India's seas secure.