Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker accused of smuggling fuel in the Gulf waters and arrested its 17 crew members, local media reported Monday.
“Police border guards in Hormozgan province seized a tanker named Phoenix, flying the flag of a third country, in Iranian territorial waters,” ISNA news agency reported, without elaborating.
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It added that forces arrested “17 foreign suspects” aboard the vessel which was found to be carrying “more than two million liters of smuggled fuel.”
Fuel smuggling is a recurring challenge in Iran, where heavy subsidies have kept domestic fuel prices among the lowest in the world.
Iranian authorities regularly announce interception and seizure of vessels illegally transporting fuel in the area.
Last month, Iranian authorities seized in the Sea of Oman a foreign tanker suspected of smuggling, which state media said was also carrying two million liters of fuel.
