NEW DELHI, Feb 16 (Reuters) – India this month seized three oil tankers linked to U.S.-sanctioned Iran and stepped up surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source said on Monday, confirming a post on X by Indian authorities in February that has since been deleted.
India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The seizures and increased surveillance follow improved relations between the US and India. Washington announced earlier this month that it would cut import tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%, after New Delhi agreed to freeze Russian oil imports.
The three sanctioned vessels – Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia – frequently changed their identities to avoid enforcement by coastal states, the source said, adding that their owners were based overseas.
VESSELS STAY COASTAL Bombay
Iranian state media quoted the National Iranian Oil Company as saying that the three tankers seized by India had no connection to the company. It said neither the cargo nor the vessels were associated with the company.
In a post on X on February 6, Indian authorities said they detained three vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after detecting suspicious tanker activity in India’s exclusive economic zone.
The post was later deleted, but a source confirmed that the vessels had been escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.
The Indian Coast Guard has since deployed about 55 ships and 10 to 12 aircraft for round-the-clock surveillance in its maritime zones, the source said.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control said last year it had imposed sanctions on three vessels, named Global Peace, Chil 1 and Glory Star 1, with IMO numbers identical to those recently seized by India.
Two of the three tankers are linked to Iran, with Al Jafzia carrying fuel oil from Iran to Djibouti in 2025 and Stellar Ruby in Iran, according to LSEG data.
Asphalt Star mostly operated on routes around China, the data show.
Sanctioned oil and fuel are often sold at deep discounts because of the risks involved, with intermediaries moving the cargo through complex ownership structures, false documentation and inter-sea transfers that complicate enforcement.
(Reporting by Saurabh Sharma; Additional reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Andrei Khalip and David Holmes)