The Indian Coast Guard seized three vessels in an international oil smuggling racket about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai on February 5. The Coast Guard said the vessels smuggled large amounts of cheap oil and oil-based cargo from conflict zones. They passed the cargo mid-sea to motor tankers in international waters to avoid taxes. This mid-sea operation, powered by digital surveillance and expanding maritime presence, shows India's role as a key enforcer of maritime safety and international rules, the Coast Guard said. "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. Investigations revealed the vessels often changed identities to escape law enforcement. The owners are based in other countries. An international network runs the smuggling operation, coordinating sales and cargo transfers at sea. The Coast Guard detected suspicious activity by a motor tanker inside India's Exclusive Economic Zone and traced two more vessels linked to illicit oil transfer, avoiding taxes owed to coastal states like India. On February 5, specialist teams boarded the vessels and confirmed the digital evidence. The vessels will be escorted to Mumbai for further checks and handed over to Indian Customs and law enforcement, the Coast Guard said.