Iran seizes foreign oil tanker smuggling fuel, arrests crew
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Iran detains foreign oil tanker in Gulf of Oman over two million liters of smuggled fuel; 17 crew members arrested as probe continues in Jask.
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Illustrative photo of Iranian oil tanker Fortune is anchored at the dock of the El Palito refinery near Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, May 25, 2020. (AP)
Iran has detained a foreign oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after intercepting it with two million liters of smuggled fuel, the head of Hormozgan province's judiciary, Mojtaba Ghahremani, reported on Wednesday via the Iranian Students' News Agency.
"Following persistent surveillance of suspected fuel smuggling operations off Iran's Sea of Oman coast, security forces boarded and searched a foreign oil tanker," Ghahremani said.
Iranian authorities confirmed the seizure of the foreign tanker after detecting irregularities in its cargo documentation, with security forces arresting 17 crew members, including the ship's captain, during the operation. The vessel was suspected of transporting two million liters of smuggled fuel through the Sea of Oman.
The case has been referred to the relevant authorities in Jask city, where the judicial investigation remains ongoing, and no details have yet been released regarding the tanker's nationality or intended destination.
