Iran seizes boat and arrest 12 Filipino crewmen in operation against suspected fuel-smuggling ring
- Iran coast guard says vessel was carrying contraband fuel
- Gulf tensions remain high, with drones downed and various ships attacked or seized in area
The Philippine government said Sunday it would provide assistance to 12 Filipino crew members of a tugboat seized by Iran for alleged oil smuggling.
The vessel was carrying more than 290,000 litres of gas oil, according to the head of the coast guard in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan.
“Coast guard authorities relayed [to the Philippine Embassy in Tehran] that an investigation is ongoing on the alleged oil smuggling of the crew,” the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said in a statement.
“Once this has been established, the matter will be referred to the local court,” it added.
“The embassy is seeking further updates on the seafarers’ condition, and stands ready to provide assistance when needed.”
Iran state media said coast guard seized the boat and arrested the crew in the Strait of Hormuz waterway on Saturday.
State television aired footage of an orange and white tugboat docked at Bandar Abbas port, with at least three armed guards on board.
Major Hossein Dehaki, the coastguard chief in the southern province of Hormozgan, said the group was suspected of operating a fuel-smuggling ring and the confiscated shipment had been intercepted close to Sirik county.
The seizure comes amid tensions in the Gulf after the United States unilaterally withdrew from a nuclear deal putting curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for relief from sanctions.
The escalation has seen ships mysteriously attacked, drones downed and oil tankers seized in the Strait of Hormuz – a choke point for a third of world’s seaborne oil.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps detained a “foreign tanker” in Gulf waters on July 14 for allegedly smuggling contraband fuel.
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In the most high-profile seizure, the Guards impounded the British-flagged Stena Impero tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on July 19 for breaking “international maritime rules”.
Iran also seized another ship on July 31 with seven foreign crew on board over fuel smuggling, but it has not revealed the vessel’s identity or the nationality of its crew.
Illegal oil and gas oil smuggling from Iran to the Arab Gulf states is common in the region. While some vessels are caught by the Iranian authorities, many get through.
Iran believes organised gangs are behind the activity and has had difficulty in tracking down ring leaders.
The Philippines is one of the world’s largest providers of shipping manpower in the world.
Many of the Filipino sailors man oil tankers, luxury liners, as well as passenger and fishing vessels worldwide, exposing them to piracy attacks and sea accidents.
DPA and Agence France-Presse
