Tehran, Dec 13 (IANS) Iran on Saturday announced seizure of a foreign oil tanker in the Sea of Oman on charges of carrying six million litres of smuggled fuel.

Local media quoted Hormozgan Chief Justice Mojtaba Qahremani as saying that the seizure was carried out as part of ongoing intelligence monitoring and surveillance of suspicious fuel-smuggling activities along the country’s maritime borders in the Sea of Oman.

"He said judicial officers, acting under a court warrant, inspected the foreign-flagged oil tanker in waters under Iran’s sovereignty in the western Jask area. The vessel was confiscated after inspections revealed multiple maritime violations and deficiencies in the legal documentation related to its cargo, leading to charges of transporting six million litres of smuggled fuel," Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted a statement released by the judicial official.

The report mentioned that 18 suspects, including the tanker’s captain and crew members, have been placed under supervision following the issuance of appropriate legal orders, as investigations and legal procedures continue.

"In addition to the organised smuggling of millions of litres, the seized tanker has committed numerous violations, including ignoring the officers' order to stop and fleeing, lacking navigational documents, lacking fuel cargo documents, turning off the radar, and intentionally destroying the ship's equipment at the time of seizure. The results of the investigation are being investigated, and the results of the investigation into its charges in the judicial authority will be reported later," the Chief Justice of Hormozgan Province was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.

Another state-run IRIB news agency detailed that the tanker was confiscated by Iranian judicial officers on Thursday in Iran's territorial waters near the southern port city of Jask as part of efforts to combat the main fuel smuggling networks and smugglers.

The vessel, it said, lacked the required maritime documents and the bill of lading for its fuel cargo, adding that it had turned off all its navigation and navigational aid systems.

The 18 crew members on board the oil tanker have been identified as nationals of Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, the report detailed.

--IANS

/as