Khaberni - The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced Wednesday that it had taken control of a vessel suspected of being used for oil smuggling, with a crew of 16 foreign individuals, according to official media reports.
The Iranian forces occasionally announce the interception of ships they suspect of illegally transporting oil.
Iranian television quoted General Abbas Gholam Shahi, one of the Revolutionary Guard commanders, saying that their naval forces «intercepted a ship carrying four million tons of smuggled oil, with 16 crew members».
The television provided no information about the ship or the nationality of its crew.
This took place while the tanker was attempting to leave Iranian territorial waters.
Fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest in the world, making smuggling highly profitable.
On December 12, Iran seized an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman with a crew consisting of 18 members from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
