Mumbai: In a major maritime enforcement operation, Mumbai Customs has uncovered an alleged fuel smuggling network operating off the city’s coastline, intercepting a sanctioned Russian-flagged vessel and an Indian bunker barge suspected of carrying out an illegal mid-sea fuel transfer.

Officials said the operation was detected during routine surveillance by the Customs Preventive Wing, which intercepted the Russian vessel MT Angara and the Indian bunker barge MV Bay III while fuel was allegedly being transferred between the two ships in offshore waters.

According to investigators, nearly 200 tonnes of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) was being supplied to the foreign vessel using fabricated export-related documents and without following mandatory customs procedures.

Authorities suspect the operation was designed to bypass regulatory checks and avoid payment of taxes and duties applicable to such transactions.

MT Angara is currently under sanctions imposed by multiple Western jurisdictions, including the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Customs officials believe the use of forged paperwork may have been intended not only to evade Indian regulations but also to conceal commercial dealings with a vessel facing international restrictions.

During the interception, officials recovered bunker delivery records and fuel quality documents from the Russian ship.

Investigators say these documents establish a direct connection between the vessel and the fuel transfer operation under scrutiny.

The Indian barge involved in the transfer is reportedly linked to a Navi Mumbai-based shipping operator who is already being examined as part of the widening investigation.

Authorities are also probing the role of another logistics company based in Navi Mumbai, which is suspected of arranging forged invoices and other fraudulent documentation used during the transaction.

Preliminary findings indicate that fake export invoices purportedly linked to Indian Oil documentation were used to create the appearance of a legitimate export movement.

Customs officials allege that no valid export shipping bills were filed for the fuel supplied to the foreign vessel. Investigators are now tracing the financial trail behind the operation.

Officials suspect payments linked to the fuel transfer may have been routed through a network of overseas entities, including shadow companies based in the United Arab Emirates.

Customs authorities said the probe remains ongoing and is focused on identifying all individuals and companies involved in the alleged smuggling network, as well as uncovering any international financial channels used to facilitate the transactions. No arrests have been announced so far.