The operation, conducted by the Indian Coast Guard earlier this month, centred on the Mali-flagged MT Asphalt Star, which was intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles off Mumbai in the early hours of February 5.
India seized three oil tankers suspected of links to Iran’s sanctioned oil trade after a dramatic mid-sea operation, which revealed a deliberate 11-hour blackout of tracking systems and illegal fuel transfers in Indian waters involving one of the tankers.
The operation, conducted by the Indian Coast Guard earlier this month, centred on the Mali-flagged MT Asphalt Star, which was intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles off Mumbai in the early hours of February 5. The vessel had gone completely “dark” on January 28, disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), VHF radio, and other sensors for nearly 11 hours while in Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), where it had lingered for eight days from 20 to 28 January.
Coast Guard officials say such deliberate shutdowns are a hallmark of illicit maritime activity, allowing ships to conceal their identity and movements.
Surveillance first detected the MT Asphalt Star on February 4 in a stationary “hot lay-up” position in the Arabian Sea. When contacted, the vessel repeatedly altered its reported identity and destination. Coast Guard ships closed in around 2 am on February 5 and boarded at 6 am.
The crew initially claimed they were bound for Mangaluru in Karnataka. Further checks revealed the tanker was transmitting false voyage data via AIS and VHF. It carried only a temporary registration certificate issued in Bamako in Mali, on January 30 and lacked the mandatory Protection & Indemnity (P&I) insurance required for international shipping.
Investigators allege the MT Asphalt Star was part of a coordinated operation with two sister vessels, MT Al Jafzia and MT Stellar Ruby (also referred to as MT Steller Ruby), conducting unauthorised ship-to-ship transfers inside India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Approximately 30 metric tonnes of heavy fuel oil were transferred to MT Al Jafzia, while 5,473 metric tonnes of VG-40 bitumen were offloaded to MT Stellar Ruby. All transfers were allegedly carried out using forged documents and Automatic Identification System (AIS) spoofing to mask the ships’ true identities.
The probe has also uncovered prior attempts to deceive Indian port authorities. MT Stellar Ruby is accused of entering Karwar Port in Karnataka using a forged P&I insurance certificate, while MT Al Jafzia allegedly used fake documentation to gain access to the Alang ship-breaking yard in Gujarat.
Probe into the master’s mobile phone on MT Asphalt Star revealed WhatsApp conversations with overseas handlers and company officials, providing key evidence of coordination.
An FIR lodged at Mumbai’s Yellow Gate Police Station on the complaint of an Indian Coast Guard commandant names nine individuals as accused: Shyam Bahadur Chouhan, Navjyot Chalotra, Gopal Das, Ravi Kumar, Gyna Chandra Gupta, Munwar Khalphe, Shivkumar Sharma, Nasaruddin Mandal, and Jogender Singh Brar. They include crew members, masters, and engineers from the three vessels, along with representatives of Star Shipping Management, the registered owner.
The accused face charges of criminal conspiracy, smuggling, document forgery, and violations of customs, shipping, IT, and petroleum laws.
