Iran Seizes Foreign Oil Tanker Carrying 6 Mln Litres Of Smuggled Diesel

TEHRAN, Dec. 13 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Iran has seized a foreign oil tanker carrying 6 million litres of smuggled diesel in the Gulf of Oman, Xinhua reported, quoting state-run IRIB news agency on Friday.

The tanker was confiscated by Iranian judicial officers on Thursday in Iran's territorial waters near the southern port city of Jask as part of efforts to combat the main fuel smuggling networks and smugglers, the IRIB quoted Mojtaba Ghahremani, chief justice of the southern Hormozgan province, as saying.

He said the vessel lacked the required maritime documents and the bill of lading for its fuel cargo, adding that it had turned off all its navigation and navigational aid systems.

Ghahremani noted that there were 18 crew members on board the oil tanker, identifying them as nationals of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

--BERNAMA-XINHUA