NEW DELHI, February 17 — India has seized three U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers linked to Iran this month and intensified surveillance within its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, Reuters reported Monday, citing a source with direct knowledge of the matter.
According to Reuters, the move is part of India’s effort to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes.
The report noted that the heightened surveillance follows improved ties between New Delhi and Washington, shortly after the announcement of an interim trade agreement between the two countries.
The three sanctioned vessels — Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star, and Al Jafzia — frequently changed their identities to evade law enforcement by coastal states, the source told Reuters, adding that their owners are based overseas.
Reuters also cited Iranian state media quoting the National Iranian Oil Company as saying the three tankers seized by India had no connection to the company. The company stated that neither the cargo nor the vessels were linked to it.
The report said the Indian Coast Guard has deployed approximately 55 ships and between 10 and 12 aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance within its maritime zones.
Reuters further noted that the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control last year sanctioned three vessels — Global Peace, Chil 1, and Glory Star 1 — with International Maritime Organization numbers identical to the ships recently seized by India.
According to data from the London Stock Exchange Group cited by Reuters, two of the three tankers are linked to Iran. Al Jafzia carried fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025, and Stellar Ruby was flagged in Iran. Asphalt Star primarily operated on routes around China, the data showed.
Earlier in February, the Indian Coast Guard said it had dismantled an international oil-smuggling network operating through a complex sea-air system. According to an official release, the vessels involved devised a method to smuggle large volumes of low-cost oil and oil-based cargo from conflict-affected countries, transferring them mid-sea to motor tankers in international waters.
The syndicate allegedly consisted of handlers operating from multiple countries, coordinating sales and transfers between seagoing vessels. Three vessels were intercepted by Indian Coast Guard ships about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai.
Through sustained searches, electronic data verification, document checks, and crew interrogation, a specialist boarding team established the sequence of events and the group’s operating methods, officials said.
Technology-driven systems detected a motor tanker engaged in suspicious activity within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone, prompting a digital investigation. Data pattern analysis identified two additional vessels as possible participants in the illicit transfer of oil-based cargo at sea, allegedly evading significant duties owed to coastal states, including India.
Initial investigations found that the vessels frequently changed identities to avoid law enforcement, and their owners are based in other countries.
The Coast Guard said the operation, initiated through digital surveillance and reinforced by expanded maritime presence, underscores India’s role as a provider of maritime security and an enforcer of international rules-based order.
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