Bhubaneswar, Feb. 7 -- The Indian Coast Guard busted an international smuggling racket of cheap oil operating through a complex sea-air route on Friday.

According to an official statement, the syndicate smuggled large volumes of cheap oil and oil-based cargo from conflict-affected countries, transferring it mid-sea to motor tankers in international waters to evade duties.

The network involved handlers from multiple countries who coordinated the sale and transfer of cargo between vessels. Acting on digital surveillance detecting suspicious tanker activity within India's Exclusive Economic Zone, the ICG launched a probe, analyzing vessel movement patterns and electronic data. This led to the identification of three suspect vessels, interc...