Over 180 tonnes of smuggled diesel seized from cargo barge off Mumbai coast; 2 held

Mumbai, Jan 20 (PTI) Mumbai Customs has intercepted a cargo barge mid-sea and seized over 180 tonnes of smuggled diesel hidden in water tanks, officials said on Tuesday.

The vessel's master and the son of its owner have been arrested, an official said.

Based on specific intelligence, Customs sleuths conducted a raid on the cargo vessel MV Tina 4 mid-sea on Sunday, he said.

The barge was found carrying high-speed diesel smuggled from foreign vessels, intended to be supplied to local coastal boats and factories to evade customs duty, the official said.

Statements recorded from the master, engineer, and an authorised representative of the shipping line indicated the modus operandi, with one water tank found not part of the approved design by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), he said.

The arrests were made after specific intelligence. There is a possibility of some more arrests and the exposure of a larger nexus involved in the long-running smuggling racket, the official said.

This marks one of the biggest seizures by Mumbai Customs involving a major barge, he claimed.

The company, which owns the seized vessel, operates several barges across the country and two tanker vessels, sources said. The seized barge was used for chartered bunkering services, they added. PTI DC GK