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\nIran’s efforts at stopping fuel smuggling are continuing with local media outlets citing additional cases of vessels being seized and crews prosecuted. An Iranian court is reported to have handed down stiff jail sentences in two cases today and hours later the semi-governmental news agency Fars reported two more vessels have been apprehended.<\/p>\n
According to the media reports, Iran claims that it has seized 4.5 million liters of smuggled diesel fuel alone this year. The country’s low price of diesel and gasoline is reported to encourage smuggling in the Persian Gulf region. Iran offers lower prices for the fuels than its neighboring Arab states.<\/p>\n
Fars reports two vessels registered in Tanzania, which it names as Sea Ranger<\/em> and Salama<\/em>, were stopped today, April 22. The vessels were reported to be near the central district port city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf. A total of 25 “foreign crew” were reportedly detained and 1.5 million liters of diesel fuel seized. Both vessels were being directed back to the Bushehr Port where the media said the vessels were being handed over by the Iran Navy for “legal proceedings.”<\/p>\n Separately, Iranian media reported a court in the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan issued judgment today, April 22, on two other foreign crews. It said one of the unnamed vessels was caught with 4.25 million liters of smuggled fuel and that the captain and two “deputies” were each sentenced to five years in jail. Collectively a fine of $5.37 million was also ordered.<\/p>\n The second captain and his two top “deputies” were also sentenced to five years in jail for smuggling 1.7 million liters of fuel. They were ordered to pay a total of $3 million in fines. In both cases, Iran said the vessels would be released once the fines were paid.<\/p>\n