Iranian forces have announced the seizure of a foreign-registered vessel smuggling fuel in the Gulf and the arrest of its crew, state media reported on Saturday (September 10th).
"
A foreign boat carrying 757,000 liters of smuggled fuel has been seized
," said General Ramazan Zirahi, a commander of the Revolutionary Guards maritime forces, quoted by the state television website.
“Arrested and handed over to the judicial authority”
“
The seven crew members, who are foreign nationals, have been arrested and handed over to the judicial authority,
” added the general, without giving further details on their nationality or on the date of the seizure of the ship.
"
The ship, which was to deliver oil to other countries, was seized 96 kilometers off the coast of Iran
," the Iranian official added, without indicating whether the boat had left from a port in the Republic. Islamic.
"A priority"
The price of fuel in Iran is one of the lowest in the world, which makes traffic to other countries all the more profitable.
Iran has the third largest oil reserves in the world and in 2020 occupied the fifth place as a producer within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
According to General Zirahi, the Revolutionary Guards have made the fight against smuggling, "
particularly organized oil trafficking, a priority
".
Iran has reported in recent months several arrests of ships in the sea lanes serving the Gulf, where a large part of the world's oil production originates and transits.
