Mumbai: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has seized three oil tankers linked to Iran, suspected of oil smuggling, around 100 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast. Investigations revealed that the vessels had deliberately turned off their sensors to conceal movements and carried out unauthorized ship-to-ship transfers. Following the seizure, two crew members, including the tanker master, were arrested in Mumbai.
Tankers Operated with Sensors Turned Off
According to the FIR registered on February 15 at Yellow Gate Police Station in Mumbai, one of the tankers, Asphalt Star, sailed near the Pakistan Maritime Boundary between January 20 and 28 without identification. The ships had switched off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and other sensors to hide their activities.
The FIR, filed on the complaint of ICG Commandant Aniruddh Dharmapal Dabash, names nine individuals, including ship owners such as Joginder Singh Barad, based in the UAE. The tanker master, Shyam Bahadur Chauhan, and one other crew member have been arrested and charged with oil smuggling and forgery.
Illegal Oil Transfers Revealed
Investigations revealed that Asphalt Star transferred 30 metric tons of heavy fuel oil to Al Jafzia and 5,473 metric tons of bitumen to MT Stellar Ruby without informing Indian authorities. Bitumen was reportedly intended for road construction.
Crew and Evasion Tactics
A total of 55 crew members were on board the three vessels. They attempted to evade detection using AIS spoofing and false identification. During questioning, the tanker master claimed the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) was non-functional.
Defense by Ship Owner
Joginder Singh Barad stated from the UAE that the ships were providing essential supplies to vessels in distress and denied involvement in any illegal activities. However, the ICG’s Special Boarding Team, through electronic data analysis, document verification, and crew interrogation, uncovered the full modus operandi of the alleged smuggling.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities closely monitoring all related maritime activities in the region.
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