For the first time ever, the Indian government has acted against the so-called "dark fleet" or "shadow fleet" tankers that carry sanctioned Russian, Venezuelan, and Iranian oil to global markets and particularly to China. Because that oil cannot be sold elsewhere, China essentially dictates how much it is willing to pay, rather than bidding in the global market.
The Indian Coast Guard seized three tankers off Bombay, I'm sorry, Mumbai, on Monday. The three tankers were the 45,000-ton M/T Chiltern, the 16,820-ton M/T Asphalt Star, and the 6,200-ton M/T Stellar Ruby. All three of the tankers have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for transporting Iranian oil to the benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Chiltern purports to have Nicaraguan registry. The Asphalt Star is registered in Mali. The Stellar Ruby is registered in Iran. Keep in mind, none of these registrations are necessarily accurate.
On 06 Feb 26, @IndiaCoastGuard busted an International oil-smuggling racket in a meticulously coordinated sea–air 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… pic.twitter.com/erJ31U4xyH
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) February 7, 2026
In terms of size, all three are very small and belong to a class known as "Handies." In this case, all three were bound for Indian ports. It looks like the Chiltern and Asphalt Star had taken on a load in Iran. When apprehended, the Asphalt Star had just finished loading the Stellar Ruby with oil.
This is a visual representation of the operation.
India arrests three Iran-linked tankers
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) February 9, 2026
Indian authorities have arrested three sanctioned tankers in the Arabian Sea as part of what the Indian Coast Guard described as a coordinated operation to dismantle an international oil-smuggling network linked to Iranian petroleum flows.… pic.twitter.com/OFU3vDvLRe
What makes this most interesting is that the ships were all bound for India, probably to crossload their cargoes onto smaller ships for transport into port.
This is a welcome development. Shutting down Iranian "dark fleet" operations will definitely cramp Iran's style.
India is just the latest nation to decide that unregistered, uninsured tankers are something that shouldn't operate on the high seas. Last month, France seized the M/T Grinch. It is now impounded by French authorities. See Everyone Wants in on the Action. French Navy Boards a Russian 'Dark Fleet' Tanker in the Mediterranean – RedState. Even the Germans have gotten in on the act, barring a "dark fleet" tanker from entering the Baltic and making it detour to Murmansk.
Just Monday, the U.S. took possession of another "dark fleet" tanker in the Indian Ocean. The M/T Aquila II had been under observation since it defied President Trump's embargo on "dark fleet" tankers filling up in Venezuela. See 'Dark Fleet' Tanker Seized Near Venezuela Ran Sanctioned Oil to China, Says House Committee – RedState. Instead to the O. J. Simpson-esque low-speed chase of the M/T Bella 1 by the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard (US Coast Guard in Hot Pursuit of Ford Bronco in the Caribbean – RedState and Trump Sends a Powerful Message by Snatching Rogue Oil Tanker Under the Nose of the Russian Navy – RedState), this time the military elected to keep the tanker under observation and snag it without a pursuit. The Aquila II is now enroute to Singapore under U.S. command.
One of the consequences of this enhanced international enforcement is that the "dark fleet" ships are rapidly registering as Russian.
Venezuela risk accelerates Russian intake of shadow fleet vessels
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) January 6, 2026
▶️Last month, 17 shadow fleet tankers left fraudulent registers and joined the Russian flag directly
▶️The shift into Russia’s register is accelerating — over 40 shadow fleet ships have joined since June 2025…
If you'll recall, the M/T Bella 1 tried this ploy while being pursued by the U.S. Navy, and she was boarded anyway.
The Russians aren't happy with that development. Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the eradication of the "dark fleet" tankers controlled by Russia an "anti-Russian policy." In an interview, he decried “New sanctions are being introduced, and a war against shadow fleet tankers is being waged on the high seas."
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