Image for representational purposes only. File | Photo credit: The Hindu
Mumbai Customs intercepted a cargo boat in the middle of the sea and seized more than 180 tonnes of smuggled diesel hidden in water tanks, officials said on Tuesday (Jan 20, 2026).
The master of the vessel and the son of its owner have been arrested, the official said.
Acting on specific information, customs detectives raided the cargo ship MV Tina 4 in the middle of the sea on Sunday (January 18, 2026).
The boat was found with high-speed diesel smuggled from foreign vessels and hidden in water tanks to be delivered to local coastal ships and factories to avoid customs duty, the official said, citing a modus operandi based on the statement of the master, engineer and representative of the shipping line.
One water tank on the barge was found not to be part of the approved design by the Indian Registry of Shipping (IRS), he said.
The arrest was made following specific intelligence information. There is a possibility of several more arrests and the uncovering of a larger nexus involved in the long-running smuggling racket, the official said.
He claimed it was one of the biggest seizures of a large boat by Mumbai.
The company that owns the impounded vessel operates several barges across the country and two tanker vessels, the sources said. The impounded barge was used for chartered refueling services, they added.
Published – 20 Jan 2026 17:21 IST
