Iran’s revolutionary guards seize tanker in Gulf, arrest crew

TEHRAN : Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have seized a Togo-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf and arrested its nine-person crew over alleged fuel smuggling, the military force said on its Sepahnews website.

“On Friday morning, an oil tanker named Pearl G, carrying the flag of the African country of Togo… was seized by judicial order,” said the Guards’ statement.

The vessel is “owned by an Iraqi resident of Dubai, United Arab Emirates,” and it was carrying 700,000 liters of fuel, the statement added.

On July 22, the Guards seized another Togo-flagged oil tanker and arrested its 12 crew members, also over alleged fuel smuggling. The fate of both the vessel and the crew remains unclear.

Iranian naval forces regularly announce the detention of vessels transporting fuel in the Gulf.

In late January, Iran seized a vessel carrying two million liters of allegedly smuggled fuel. In May, Iran released seven crew members from a Portuguese-flagged container ship, seized on April 13, after accusing them of links to Israel.

Fuel prices in Iran are among the lowest globally, increasing the profitability of smuggling operations