India has seized three oil tankers involved in oil smuggling in what is believed to be the country’s first move against the growing shadow fleet of tankers.  

The Indian Coast Guard has said that it busted on February 6 “an international oil-smuggling racket” in a land and sea operation.

“The syndicate exploited mid-sea transfers in international waters to move cheap oil from conflict-ridden regions to motor tankers, evading duties owed to coastal states,” the Coast Guard added.

The authorities intercepted three suspect vessels west of Mumbai.

“The vessels known to frequently change identity are being escorted to Mumbai for further legal action, reinforcing India’s role as a net provider of maritime security and guardian of the rules-based international order,” the Coast Guard said. 

This is the first time India has moved to take action against shadow fleet tankers, sources with knowledge of India’s shipping industry told Bloomberg on Tuesday.

India’s move to seize vessels of the dark fleet follows intensified efforts from Western countries, most of all the U.S. and EU, to act more decisively against shadow vessels making illicit trips to deliver sanctioned oil.

The move also comes as the United States is pressuring India to halt imports of Russian crude oil as part of the U.S.-India trade deal.

Indian refiners are still avoiding Russian oil as deals for delivery in April begin to be made.  

India’s largest state-owned refiner, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has boosted purchases of crude oil from West Africa and the Middle East, as New Delhi steers clear of Russian crude in the wake of the trade deal with the United States.   

Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), as well as the top private refiner Reliance Industries, have not made any fresh spot orders for Russian crude in the past week, sources with direct knowledge of the oil procurement deals told Bloomberg on Monday.

Source: Oil Price.Com 

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