India detains three oil tankers in major smuggling bust

India’s Coast Guard has detained three oil tankers on suspicion of illegal oil smuggling, foreign media reported.

Azernews reports that the information was shared by an official of the Indian Coast Guard on the service’s page on X.

“On February 6, the Indian Coast Guard thwarted the activities of an international oil-smuggling network during a carefully planned maritime and aerial operation,” the statement said.

The vessels were intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai.

Searches conducted aboard the tankers, analysis of data retrieved from electronic devices, and questioning of crew members helped expose the illegal scheme operated by the organizers’ global network, the statement added.