Mumbai: Crew members of three foreign-registered vessels informed the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that they endured extreme hardships while on anchorage. They reported surviving on just 300 milliliters of drinking water per day for each of the 50 crew members, with no power supply since March 18. Their meals consisted of one-time food, typically dal-rice, prepared using wood and consumed before sunset. Bathing was limited to once every four days using sea water, and they sought relief by cooling themselves on the deck side.
Arrest and Detention
The three vessels had been under arrest since February 6, anchored approximately 30 nautical miles (56 kilometers) off the Mumbai shore. The crew stepped onto Mumbai shores after nearly 88 days to appear before the court and expressed relief after securing a bail order.
On Tuesday, the crew told the Bombay High Court that their ordeal began as soon as they joined the vessels. They have been deprived of their salaries since March, despite joining in November 2025 in Dubai. Stephen Dinesh, second engineer for MT Asphalt Star and a resident of Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, stated: "We kept our feet on land for the first time since we were arrested aboard. Today we are released by the High Court. I have to shell out money for the air ticket to reach my home as the company stopped communication ever since the ship was arrested. No salary since March. No agencies came forward for our help saying the company that hired us has violated the rules." Dinesh added that he was on his way to Mumbai Airport to fly to Chennai after spending Rs 8,000 on his ticket following the court order. He described the experience as traumatic despite his 17 years of sailing experience, noting that his ordeal began after joining the ship in January.
Another Crew Member's Account
Jaspreet Singh (30), an electrical officer, said the company provided rations infrequently, and the crew managed with whatever was available. "There was no light and diesel. So we prepared food on wood between 4 pm and 4.30 pm and ate before sunset. At night all slept together as it was pitch dark with no electricity. We charged one mobile every 15 days using a battery kept in the pantry and used it to call our families every fortnight. After sailing for 20 months in three different ships, this was the first bad experience. Still have to get paid for the work. Had shelled out Rs 12,000 for flight ticket to Punjab," Singh said.
Background of the Arrest
The vessels were arrested at anchorage off the Mumbai coast after being intercepted by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on February 5 and 6. According to the ICG, the operation dismantled a network involved in the illicit transfer of large volumes of oil and oil-based cargo originating from conflict-ridden regions. An ICG official stated in February: "The three suspect vessels were intercepted approximately 100 nautical miles (185 kilometers) west off Mumbai. Sustained rummaging of the vessels, corroboration of electronic data recovered onboard, verification of documents, and detailed interrogation of crew members enabled the ICG specialist boarding teams to establish the complete chain of events and confirm the criminal modus operandi."
Modus Operandi of Smuggling Syndicate
A Yellow Gate police officer said the case was registered in February and that the smuggling syndicate used a modus operandi in which cheap oil was transported by seagoing vessels and transferred mid-sea to motor tankers in international waters. The officer added that investigations revealed the syndicate comprised handlers operating across multiple countries, coordinating the sale and transfer of cargo between vessels at sea.
