Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has seized a third tanker in a little over a week as the country battles fuel smuggling.
The state-run Fars News Agency said on Tuesday that naval forces intercepted the unnamed small vessel in the Middle East Gulf and six seafarers on board were arrested.
The ownership and flag state of the tanker were not revealed, nor was the nationality of those detained.
Fars said 100,000 litres of smuggled fuel were discovered during an inspection.
Iran International reported that the IRGC regularly announces such actions, as part of efforts to combat smuggling.
On 1 April, state media reported that the IRGC had seized two overseas-registered tankers on the same grounds.
The vessels were carrying more than 3m litres of diesel.
Iran’s Press TV named the ships as Start 1 and Vintage, which cannot be found in maritime databases.
“These two tankers, with 25 crew members, were engaged in organised fuel smuggling in the central waters of the Persian Gulf and were collectively carrying over 3m litres of smuggled diesel fuel,” state media said, according to Reuters.
No details were given of the ships’ flag states.
The tankers, probably small coastal vessels, were being moved to the port of Bushehr.
Mehdi Mehrangiz, a senior judiciary official in Bushehr province, said the ships were seized under a judicial order.
All 25 crew members on both ships were arrested.
Iran has been fighting the smuggling of its cheap fuel to other Gulf states, and authorities have stepped up anti-smuggling efforts in recent years.
At the end of March, Iranian border police intercepted a vessel carrying 1m litres of smuggled oil, Reuters reported.
The diesel price in Iran is only IRR 3,000 ($0.07) per litre for limited monthly quotas.
The fuel is available at IRR 6,000 for unlimited usage by truck drivers and farmers using heavy machinery.(Copyright)
