Iran‑Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operation In Indian Waters: Probe Uncovers Brar‑Linked ‘Dark Fleet’ In Billion-Dollar Oil Smuggling Network As US‑Sanctioned Tankers Are Detained Off Mumbai

Mumbai: Indian security agencies have identified a common Indian operational link among the three vessels seized by the Indian Coast Guard on February 5 in the coast off Mumbai dealing in smuggled Iranian crude oil. The common link is through shared ownership and management structures connected to Jugwinder Singh Brar, an Indian national and UAE-based shipping operator. In April 2025, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Brar and his companies, including Glory International FZ-LLC and Elite Shipping & Trading, for allegedly transporting hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum in violation of international sanctions. Brar could not be contacted for his comment.

Officials said Brar-linked entities, including Prime Tankers LLC and Glory International FZ-LLC, operate a fleet of nearly 30 vessels involved in high-risk STS transfers of Iranian oil in waters off Iraq, Iran, the UAE, and the Gulf of Oman. Officials allege that Brar-linked “shadow fleet” tankers deployed smaller Handysize tankers to conduct high-risk STS transfers in international waters. Such transfers were allegedly used to blend Iranian crude with cargo from other origins, thereby falsifying documentation and masking the oil’s sanctioned status. In a major maritime interdiction operation in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized approximately 140 tonnes of suspected smuggled illicit crude oil during the interception of three United States-sanctioned, Iran-linked “shadow fleet” tankers, central investigating agency sources confirmed.

Apart from the seized quantity, investigators are working to determine the total volume of oil carried by the three vessels and the extent to which it was illegally transported to offshore locations, including areas in international waters. The probe involves a detailed audit of ship log books, interrogation of 55 crew members across all three tankers, technical reconstruction of voyage data, and physical verification of tank levels. Officials said this multi-layered assessment has confirmed the scale and severity of crude diversion and sanctions evasion under investigation.

The detained vessels Asphalt Star, Stellar Ruby and Al Jafzia (formerly Chiltern) are listed under US sanctions and are suspected to be part of a covert logistics network facilitating the movement of Iranian-origin crude into global markets in circumvention of international sanctions.

A joint multi-agency task force comprising the ICG, Naval Intelligence (NI), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), and Customs authorities has been constituted to examine the vessels’ operations and the broader oil-smuggling network, particularly aspects falling within Indian jurisdiction. The team of Investigators are scrutinising cargo manifests, bunker records, beneficial ownership trails, financial linkages, end beneficiaries of consignments, and operational coordination patterns.

Officials said several cargo manifests were found to be falsified, with declared shipment origins and destinations not matching the vessels’ actual maritime movements or the nature and grade of petroleum cargo onboard. Cargo manifests are statutory maritime shipping documents that detail the type, quantity, grade, loading port, discharge port, and ownership particulars of crude oil or petroleum products carried on a tanker, along with shipper and consignee information.

Investigators also examined bunker records and fuel consumption logs to verify whether fuel usage aligned with the declared voyage routes. Significant discrepancies were identified between actual fuel consumption and entries recorded in the log books of all three vessels. Further review revealed deliberate tampering across certain log books, including inconsistencies in recorded positions, cargo entries, and voyage timelines when cross-checked with Automatic Identification System (AIS) data and satellite tracking inputs. Sources said the altered documentation confirms intentional attempts to conceal mid-sea movements and establishes that all three tankers conducted ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operations.

Officials said Brar-linked entities, including Prime Tankers LLC and Glory International FZ-LLC, operate a fleet of nearly 30 vessels involved in high-risk STS transfers of Iranian oil in waters off Iraq, Iran, the UAE, and the Gulf of Oman. Officials allege that Brar-linked “shadow fleet” tankers deployed smaller Handysize tankers to conduct high-risk STS transfers in international waters. Such transfers were allegedly used to blend Iranian crude with cargo from other origins, thereby falsifying documentation and masking the oil’s sanctioned status.

Investigation revealed that detained Asphalt Star, an Iran-linked “shadow fleet” tanker with a deadweight capacity of 16,820 metric tonnes (DWT), frequently operated between the Al Basra Oil Terminal in Iraq and regional transshipment hubs. Officials described it as a principal carrier within a broader “dark fleet” network engaged in transporting large volumes of Iranian crude oil, diesel, and other petroleum products in circumvention of international sanctions. Investigators believe the vessel functioned as a primary supply tanker within the logistics chain.

The other two detained vessels Al Jafzia and Stellar Ruby operated in coordinated roles, functioning as receiver and discharge tankers in this case. According to the officials, AIS data analysis established that all three ships operated in a structured and synchronised pattern while in international waters. Investigators documented repeated convergence and separation manoeuvres, controlled speed reductions, extended loitering, and deliberate course alterations. The navigational profile establishes that the vessels conducted ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operations at sea.

Reconstructed voyage analysis established a structured logistical chain linking oil loading and transfer zones, primarily Basrah (Iraq) and Khor Fakkan (UAE), with discharge points along India’s western seaboard. Ship-tracking data further showed that while en route to the UAE, the vessels halted for nearly a day within Pakistan’s maritime zone before proceeding toward Indian waters, indicating the existence of a wider regional smuggling network.

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Officials said Asphalt Star was heading toward New Mangalore Port in Karnataka prior to interception. Al Jafzia rendezvoused with Asphalt Star 100 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast to receive its final consignment. After offshore discharge at an unidentified location, it was to sail to the Alang Ship Breaking Yard in Gujarat for dismantling, a tactic officials said is commonly used by shadow fleet operators to erase a vessel’s operational history and documentation trail.

Stellar Ruby, flagged in Iran, had earlier sailed from the Persian Gulf to Kandla Port in January 2026, then moved toward the Gulf of Oman before heading toward the south-western coast near Karwar. During this leg, the vessel disabled its AIS transponder and moved to the same offshore location where the other two tankers were positioned, undertaking a coordinated “dark voyage” prior to interception.

All three vessels were intercepted by the ICG during a coordinated maritime operation conducted on February 5–6, approximately 100 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast in the Arabian Sea, while engaged in illicit oil-transfer activity within India’s international maritime jurisdiction. The tankers are currently detained and anchored around 25 nautical miles offshore near Mumbai for further investigation.

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