TEHRAN, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) seized a ship carrying 4 million liters of smuggled fuel in the country's southern waters and detained its 16 foreign crew members, state media reported Wednesday.
The vessel was intercepted by naval forces as it prepared to leave Iranian territorial waters, according to Abbas Gholamshahi, a regional commander for the IRGC navy. Gholamshahi did not identify the ship's flag, owner, or destination, nor did he specify when the seizure occurred.
He said the vessel had collected fuel from smaller boats and intended to transfer the cargo to larger ships outside regional waters.
The commander described the mission as a "rapid and decisive operation" targeting "organized fuel smuggling."
The crew has been referred to judicial authorities. The fuel was confiscated, and an investigation is underway to identify the smuggling networks involved, Gholamshahi added.
Fuel smuggling is a persistent issue in Iran, which has some of the world's lowest fuel prices. The price gap creates a lucrative market for smugglers who transport Iranian fuel to neighboring countries where prices are significantly higher. Iranian officials estimate the state loses billions of dollars annually to such illicit trade. ■
