India seizes three US-sanctioned vessels in mid-sea oil smuggling crackdown, Iran denies link

Indian authorities have seized three oil tankers off the Mumbai coast in a major crackdown on suspected illegal crude oil transfers at sea. The operation, conducted on February 5 and 6, targeted vessels allegedly involved in ship-to-ship oil transfers to bypass maritime regulations and customs duties.

The vessels were intercepted around 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after intelligence inputs flagged suspicious activity in Indian waters. The Indian Coast Guard deployed patrol ships and aircraft to halt the operations. Officials said the ships were transferring crude oil cargo between vessels in open waters a tactic often used to evade regulatory scrutiny.

According to reports, the three tankers had been sanctioned by the United States and were allegedly linked to Iran. The source also said India has tightened surveillance across its maritime zone to curb illicit oil trade.

The vessels — Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia were reported to have frequently changed their names, flags and digital identities to avoid detection by coastal authorities. Their owners are said to be based overseas.

The development corroborates details from a February 6 post on X by Indian authorities, which was later deleted, as per reports.

However, Iran has denied any connection to the seized ships. The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) stated that the three tankers have no ties to the company and that Iran has no involvement in the matter.

Investigators have examined ship documentation, electronic records and questioned crew members as part of the ongoing probe. Preliminary findings suggest the suspected oil smuggling network may have links spanning multiple countries.

Further investigations are underway to establish the ownership trail of the vessels and determine the full scale of the alleged illicit trade network.