Mumbai

Mumbai Customs officials have intercepted a cargo barge off the city’s coast and seized more than 180 tonnes of diesel that was allegedly smuggled and concealed inside water tanks, authorities said on Tuesday.

Two persons — the vessel’s master and the son of its owner — have been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, customs officers carried out a mid-sea operation on Sunday and boarded the cargo barge MV Tina 4, an official said. During the inspection, the team discovered high-speed diesel stored inside water tanks onboard the vessel.

According to preliminary findings, the fuel was procured illegally from foreign ships and was meant to be supplied to coastal boats and industrial units, bypassing customs duties. The modus operandi emerged from statements recorded from the barge’s master, its engineer, and a representative of the shipping firm, the official added.

Investigators also found that one of the water tanks did not conform to the design approved by the Indian Register of Shipping, raising further suspicion.

Officials said the arrests followed sustained intelligence gathering, and further detentions could follow as the probe progresses. Authorities believe the seizure may help uncover a wider network involved in an ongoing fuel smuggling operation.

Customs officials described the haul as one of the largest diesel seizures involving a cargo barge in recent times.

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Sources said the firm that owns the seized vessel operates multiple barges across the country along with two tanker ships, and that the barge had been deployed for chartered bunkering services.