The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Saturday said it has apprehended a set of vessels linked to an international oil smuggling racket, in a "daring mid-sea operation," about 100 nautical miles west off the coast of Mumbai.
In a statement, the maritime force said that the alleged racket had devised a method to smuggle large volumes of cheap oil and oil-based cargo from "conflict-ridden countries and profit by mid-sea transfer to motor tankers in international waters."
"Three vessels were intercepted by ICG ships, about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai, on February 5, and through sustained rummaging, corroboration of electronic data onboard the suspect vessels and verification of documents and interrogation of crew, the ICG's specialist boarding team established the chain of incidents and the modus operandi of the criminals," the ICG statement said.
According to the maritime force, the vessels were found to frequently change identity to evade law enforcement actions by coastal states. The ICG said that initial investigations suggested the owners were based in foreign countries.
The syndicate consist of a network of handlers operating from various countries, coordinating the sale and transfer between seagoing vessels, it said.
Sharing the sequence of events, the ICG said its "tech-inclusive systems" detected a motor tanker conducting "suspicious activity" in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zones, prompting a digital investigation into the actions of the vessel.
"The ICG undertook data pattern analysis of other vessels closing in on the vessel, and identified two other vessels as possible suspects, involved in illicit transfer of oil-based cargo at sea, evading significant duties owed to the coastal states, including India," the statement said.
"On February 5, ICG specialist teams boarded the vessels and confirmed the accuracy of the digital evidence, leading to the apprehension of the vessels," it said.
Calling it a "daring mid-sea operation," the ICG said it reinforced "India's role as a net provider of maritime security and guardian of the rules based international order."
The vessels are likely to be escorted to Mumbai for further investigation and handed over to the Indian Customs and law enforcement agencies for action, the ICG said.
(With inputs from PTI)