New Delhi, Feb 7 (PTI) The Indian Coast Guard on Saturday said it has busted an international oil smuggling racket by apprehending a set of vessels linked to it, about 100 nautical miles west of the coast of Mumbai as part of a mid-sea operation.

The vessels involved had devised a method to smuggle large volumes of cheap oil and oil-based cargo from the “conflict-ridden countries and profit by mid-sea transfer to motor tankers in international waters”, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said.

The “daring mid-sea operation”, initiated through digital surveillance and enforced through the ever-expanding maritime presence of the Indian Coast Guard, once again establishes India as a “net provider of maritime safety and enforcer of the international rules-based order”, the ICG said in a statement.

“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 Coast Guard said.

The vessels were found to frequently change identity to evade law enforcement actions by coastal states. The vessel owners are based in other countries, according to initial investigations, the maritime force said.

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.

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. PTI KND ARI