Iran Stops Stateless Tanker in Continuing Crackdown on Fuel Smuggling

Iranian officials announced that they have seized yet another vessel they are accusing of smuggling diesel fuel. It is part of an increased effort to break the smuggling rings that Iran reports are working in the region and threatening its economy.

Few details were released on the latest seizure, other than that their forces were working under a judicial order. They report that when they inspected the vessel in the Gulf of Oman, it was operating without “valid maritime travel documents or a cargo manifest for its fuel shipment.” They report there was a total of six million liters of diesel fuel aboard the vessel.

The seizure reportedly took place near Jask. When the vessel was intercepted, the Iranian forces reported its navigation and auxiliary systems had been deliberately turned off to conceal its operations.

The ship was reported to have a crew of 18 aboard, from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The crew is all being held and faces charges of smuggling. In the past, Iran has prosecuted the captains and sentenced them to jail.

An official of the IRGC Navy said it remains “firmly committed to its mission of countering violators and smugglers.” They said increased monitoring and intelligence activities were being deployed, with steps already taken to stem the flow of smuggled fuel. 

At the beginning of the month, Iran also reported seizing a tanker it contended was registered in Swaziland (Eswatini) off the coast of Bushehr. Iran said the vessel was smuggling 350,000 liters of fuel and had a crew from India and one from another unnamed neighboring country. The officials from the African nation denied the vessel and said it was also a false flag.

Most of the vessels Iran stops are smaller, carrying fuel quantities measured in liters. However, in mid-November, Iran stopped the Talara (73,000 dwt), a crude oil tanker flagged in the Marshall Islands and managed by Columbia Shipmanagement. Iran accused the vessel of illegally transporting 30,000 tonnes of petroleum products that were being transported to Singapore. The vessel and its crew were released after five days and the offloading of the cargo.
 

Top image from Tasmin News Agency - CC BY 4.0