ICG busts major international oil smuggling racket near Mumbai
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) just stopped a major international oil smuggling operation off Mumbai's coast.
In February 2026, they intercepted three ships about 100 nautical miles from the city.
The smugglers were sneaking cheap oil from conflict zones and secretly transferring it between ships at sea to avoid paying customs duties.
Vessels, crews being brought to Mumbai for further questioning
ICG teams kicked off the operation after spotting suspicious activity in India's Exclusive Economic Zone.
Digging deeper, they found two more vessels involved in these illegal mid-sea transfers.
After boarding all three ships, officers uncovered fake identities and conducted searches, examined electronic data, verified documents and questioned crew members.
Now, the vessels and their crews are being brought to Mumbai for handover to Customs on Monday, where formal arrests and further grilling will follow.
This bust highlights how seriously the ICG takes protecting India's waters from shady deals.