IRGC Navy Seizes Two Foreign Tankers in the Persian Gulf for Smuggling Fuel
Tehran, The Gulf Observer: The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has seized two foreign tankers in the Persian Gulf for smuggling over three million liters of diesel fuel. The tankers, identified as Start 1 and Vintage, were intercepted by the IRGC’s Second Maritime Region while they were attempting to transport the smuggled fuel.
In a statement released on Monday, the IRGC Public Relations Department confirmed the confiscation of the vessels earlier in the day. The two tankers, along with their 25 crew members, were arrested and transferred to the Bushehr oil dock under a judicial order. The smuggled fuel was unloaded, and further legal procedures will be followed.
The IRGC’s intelligence monitoring system, which tracks illicit activities in the region, identified the tankers, which were operating in Iranian waters. This seizure highlights the ongoing efforts by Iranian authorities to combat fuel smuggling, a persistent problem due to the significant price differential between Iran’s subsidized fuel and that of neighboring countries.
Smuggling has become a highly profitable underground industry along Iran’s southern maritime borders, despite heightened enforcement measures in recent years.
