After the United States, India has also taken action! India intercepted three oil tankers, suspected of smuggling oil to China.
On February 6, 2026, the Indian Coast Guard conducted a high-profile joint air-sea operation in the Arabian Sea, successfully intercepting three oil tankers about 185 kilometers (100 nautical miles) west of Mumbai.
India claims that the three intercepted ships — Al Jafzia, Asphalt Star, and Star Ruby — are suspected of being active in the "shadow fleet" network. The so-called "shadow fleet" refers to a gray shipping system that secretly transports crude oil from sanctioned countries (such as Iran, Venezuela, and Russia) to buyers through methods such as frequent change of flag, falsifying documents, turning off AIS (Automatic Identification System) signals, and conducting ship-to-ship transfers at sea.
Specifically, Al Jafzia was originally named Chiltern, flew the Nicaraguan flag, but had previously impersonated Guyana's nationality; Asphalt Star incorrectly flew the Malian flag — while Mali, as an inland country, does not have the qualification to register ocean-going oil tankers, which is obviously a case of identity fraud; Star Ruby is registered in Iran, but has long attempted to blend into the international normal trade flow. These operational methods are highly consistent, with only one purpose: to conceal the true origin of Iranian crude oil, making it appear "cleaned up" on paper before entering the international market, especially flowing into the Chinese market, which has a huge demand for energy.
India announced that it used multi-dimensional data such as satellite monitoring, AIS abnormal behavior analysis, and financial transaction tracking for cross-verification, locking down the target before deploying ships and aircraft for boarding inspections. This model is highly consistent with the US strategy — no longer relying solely on diplomatic pressure, but building an operable law enforcement loop through technical means.
So why did India take this action now? Dao Ge believes that a significant motivation is to compete for regional authority. The Arabian Sea is a key energy corridor connecting the Middle East and East Asia. Through this action, India strengthens its law enforcement presence in this sea area, which can enhance its voice in international maritime governance, and also deter potential competitors such as the United States. In other words, the Indian Ocean is mine, and the US should not interfere. Moreover, India believes that targeting oil tankers with Chinese backgrounds, which are unlikely to resist, should not be a big problem.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1856704508080140/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.