The Bombay High Court has permitted the owners of three ships, seized by the Indian Coast Guard, to send essential supplies to their crew members. The vessels were detained on February 6, approximately 100 nautical miles off Mumbai, due to suspicions of illegal petroleum transfers within India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This ruling ensures that the crew receives necessary provisions while the investigation into alleged smuggling activities continues.
A division bench, comprising Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Abhay Mantri, authorized the owners to deliver food, water, and other essentials under strict security measures. Additionally, the court allowed the shipping companies—Balboa Shipping, Royal Princess Shipping, and Star Management Shipping—to assess the current market value of the detained vessels. This valuation may be relevant if the court later considers releasing the ships in exchange for financial bonds.
The three ships, Asphalt Star, Stellar Ruby, and Al Jafzia, were intercepted after the Coast Guard had been monitoring Asphalt Star since February 4. Investigators allege that these vessels were engaged in unauthorized ship-to-ship fuel transfers, with Asphalt Star reportedly transferring 30 metric tonnes of heavy fuel oil to Al Jafzia and over 5,400 metric tonnes of high-viscosity bitumen to Stellar Ruby. Authorities noted that the ships attempted to conceal their identities by disabling onboard tracking systems.
