India, June 22 -- In a crackdown on thefts at Oil and Natural Gas (ONGC) offshore platforms, police have seized 37 fishing boats, identified about 30 accused, and initiated action against fishermen for allegedly stealing equipment worth lakhs of rupees from the platforms in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai's coast.

Police said more than 800 to 1,000 batteries, along with solar panels, scrap iron, fuel and cables, were stolen over the past two years from the offshore platforms, with each theft estimated to cause losses of Rs.3-4 lakh or more.

Investigators allege that fishing boats entered restricted zones around the offshore platforms under the pretext of fishing.

"In our interrogations and arrest we had found that there were fishing boats w...