India Detains Three Tankers For Oil Smuggling

They were under U.S. sanctions.

Indian authorities reported the detention within the exclusive economic zone of three oil tankers that had been under U.S. sanctions since 2025 for illegally transporting oil. According to Times of India, the detained tankers were part of an international oil smuggling scheme using offshore transshipment.

The Indian Coast Guard said the detained vessels frequently changed their registration details. The smuggling of oil from countries where there are military conflicts and its transshipment on the high seas was run by a "network of handlers" based in different countries.

After being detained, the vessels were escorted to the port of Mumbai for further checks and handing over the case to law enforcement agencies. Vessel tracking service TankerTrackers indicates that the detained tankers are named Al Jafzia, Asphalt Star and Stellar Ruby. They were flying the flags of Nicaragua, Mali and Iran. In early February, Malaysia detained two tankers suspected of illegally transporting oil. The country seized more than $129.9 million worth of oil.

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