Acting on specific intelligence, Customs officers carried out a raid on the cargo vessel MV Tina 4 in mid-sea on Sunday. During the inspection, the barge was found to be carrying high-speed diesel that had allegedly been smuggled from foreign vessels
Officials said that more arrests in the matter were likely. Representative Pic/File
Mumbai Customs officials have intercepted a cargo barge mid-sea and seized more than 180 tonnes of smuggled diesel concealed inside water tanks, officials said on Tuesday, reported the PTI.
The vessel’s master and the son of its owner have been arrested in connection with the case.
Acting on specific intelligence, Customs officers carried out a raid on the cargo vessel MV Tina 4 in mid-sea on Sunday. During the inspection, the barge was found to be carrying high-speed diesel that had allegedly been smuggled from foreign vessels, according to the PTI.
Officials said the diesel was concealed in water tanks and was intended to be supplied to local coastal boats and factories in order to evade customs duty. The modus operandi was revealed based on statements recorded from the vessel’s master, engineer and a representative of the shipping line.
One of the water tanks found on the barge was not part of the approved design sanctioned by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), officials added.
More arrests likely, say officials
The arrests were made following the intelligence-led operation. Officials said further arrests are likely as investigations continue, and a larger network involved in the long-running diesel smuggling racket may be exposed, as per the PTI.
One of the biggest diesel seizures in recent times
Customs officials described the seizure as one of the biggest operations carried out by Mumbai Customs involving a large cargo barge.
Sources said the company that owns the seized vessel operates several barges across the country, as well as two tanker vessels. The barge had been used for chartered bunkering services, they added, the news agency reported.
Gold worth Rs 2.15 crore at Mumbai airport
Meanwhile, Mumbai Customs on Monday said that the officers of Mumbai Customs Zone-III have seized gold worth Rs 2.15 crore and apprehended a Bangladeshi passenger during the night shift of January 17-18, 2026, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport.
The interception was made based on specific profiling by customs officials.
According to Customs department, the accused passenger arrived from Dubai on January 17, 2026, and was scheduled to travel onward to Dhaka on January 18, 2026.
During transit at Mumbai airport, customs officers observed the passenger attempting to discreetly hand over suspicious packets to an airport staff member.
Gold dust worth over Rs 2.15 crore recovered
Upon interception, officials recovered four oval-shaped packets containing 24-carat gold dust concealed in wax.
"The total weight of the seized gold was 1,590 grams, valued at Rs 2.15 crore," Mumbai Customs said.
The packets were allegedly being transferred to a staff of airport services company, indicating an insider-assisted smuggling attempt.
Accused arrested under Customs Act
Following the recovery, both the Bangladeshi national and the AIASL staff member were arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act, 1962.
Customs officials stated that further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the incident is part of a larger gold smuggling syndicate operating through international transit routes.
Customs tighten surveillance at Mumbai airport
Officials emphasized that enhanced profiling, intelligence inputs, and strict surveillance at Mumbai’s international airport have led to several such detections in recent months. Customs authorities reiterated their commitment to preventing smuggling activities and safeguarding the country’s economic interests.
(with PTI inputs)
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