Iran Seizes Foreign Tanker for Smuggling 2 Million Liters of Fuel; Crew Detained
Iranian authorities have captured a foreign tanker in the Gulf of Oman suspected of smuggling 2 million liters of fuel, as reported by Mojtaba Ghahremani, the chief justice of Hormozgan province, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
Ghahremani stated, “While monitoring ongoing suspicious activities related to fuel smuggling in the Gulf of Oman, law enforcement officials inspected a foreign tanker that lacked proper documentation for its cargo and subsequently seized it on charges of transporting 2 million liters of illicit fuel.”
The chief justice also noted that 17 crew members were apprehended and a legal case has been initiated at the Jask county prosecutor’s office.
Details regarding the identity of the tanker or its flag state were not disclosed.
Iran has some of the lowest fuel prices globally due to substantial subsidies and a significant decline in its national currency’s value, which has led to persistent challenges with widespread fuel smuggling.
“The actions taken by fuel smugglers who collaborate with foreign entities to hijack national resources will not escape judicial scrutiny. If their wrongdoing is established, they will face strict consequences,” Ghahremani added.
Authorities are currently conducting laboratory analyses and reviewing documentation to confirm the legality and contents of the cargo involved.
This seizure follows an incident months prior when Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intercepted two Tanzanian-flagged tankers allegedly carrying 1.5 million liters of diesel in the Gulf. Those vessels were subsequently moved to Bushehr port for legal action.
The two ships, identified as Sea Ranger and Salama, had a total of 25 foreign crew members, according to Iranian media reports.
