The Customs Department in Mumbai has successfully dismantled an illegal diesel smuggling operation off the Harnai coast in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra, India. Acting on specific intelligence, a team led by superintendent Atul V. Potdar conducted a late-night operation, intercepting the fishing vessel Ratna Mauli approximately 11 nautical miles into the Arabian Sea. The vessel was allegedly involved in supplying smuggled diesel to fishing boats. During the operation, another boat suspected of purchasing the contraband was also identified. Following the interception shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Ratna Mauli was directed to Dabhol jetty, where authorities seized the vessel and the diesel onboard. The judicial magistrate in Dapoli approved the arrest of the vessel's owner and captain on Friday, as requested by special public prosecutor Shekhar D. Tonape. Preliminary investigations suggest that over 300 tonnes of diesel may have been illegally traded along the Harnai coast over the past two months, and further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network.