TEHRAN - The chief justice of Hormozgan Province announced on Saturday the detention by the IRGC Navy of a foreign ship carrying 220,000 liters of smuggled fuel in the Persian Gulf.

“In coordination with the judicial authorities, the Zulfiqar Naval Brigade of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) monitored and arrested a foreign ship carrying smuggled fuel in the waters of the Persian Gulf,” Mojtaba Qahramani, head of Hormozgan province's justice department, said in a press statement. 

He added, “During the inspection of this ship, more than 220,000 liters of smuggled fuel were seized and 11 members of the foreign crew were arrested.”
Qahramani said the arrest of the smugglers will help complete the “investigation and “legal procedures”.

Qahramani continued,” The Guards Navy also arrested an Iranian boat carrying 20,000 liters of smuggled diesel with the aim of supplying this foreign ship with fuel in Iranian territorial waters, and arrested 3 individuals on board the boat.”

The provincial chief justice underlined that the fight against smuggling, especially fuel smuggling, is one of the important priorities that the judiciary in the province is constantly following up in order to support the growth and prosperity of the country’s economy.

“This will be followed up through the establishment of an operational base to combat fuel smuggling and the strengthening of monitoring and resolute action against smugglers,” he said, according to Al Alam.