According to Iran’s state news agency, Iranian authorities captured the crew of a foreign ship attempting to sneak petroleum out of the country.
Iran has been fighting massive fuel smuggling by land to neighboring countries and by sea to Gulf Arab states, despite having some of the world’s cheapest fuel prices due to substantial subsidies and the depreciation of its national currency.
The ship was intercepted in Gulf waters and transported to a seaport in the southern province of Hormozgan, where it was handed over to legal authorities for inquiry, according to the agency.
“A ship carrying smuggled fuel intended to transport large-scale smuggled fuel shipments east of Maru was identified and detained by us.”
Hossein Dehaki, the chief of provincial border guards, said, “We were able to locate and seize a ship carrying illicit fuel meant to deliver large-scale smuggled fuel supplies east of Maru Island.”
Iranian police have seized several ships in the Gulf in recent months for smuggling gasoline.
