Panaji, The Indian Coast Guard has busted an international oil cargo smuggling syndicate in a mid-sea operation, intercepting three vessels involved in the illicit trade in international waters, the maritime security agency said on Saturday. Coast Guard intercepts three vessels in mid-sea oil smuggling operation off Mumbai coast The operation was carried out on February 5-6, approximately 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai, following intelligence gathered through technology-enabled maritime surveillance systems. The syndicate had devised a sophisticated modus operandi to smuggle large quantities of low-cost oil and oil-based cargo sourced from conflict-ridden regions, according to a Coast Guard release. The cargo was transferred mid-sea to motor tankers in international waters, allowing the operators to evade customs duties owed to coastal states, including India. The racket was allegedly run through a network of handlers operating from multiple countries, coordinating the sale and transfer of oil cargo between seagoing vessels. Initial investigations indicate that the vessels frequently changed their identity to evade detection by law enforcement agencies. The Coast Guard detected a motor tanker engaged in suspicious …