Tehran [Iran], September 8: Iran arrested 10 suspects on Thursday after it seized more than 1 million liters of smuggled diesel off the coast of the southern province of Hormuzgan, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The smugglers had stored the fuel in clandestine depots and attempted to transfer it to a number of regional Arab states in plastic containers pulled behind their vessels, IRNA quoted Hormuzgan Police Commander Ali Akbar Javidan as saying on Thursday evening.
He added the fuel was intended to be smuggled out of the country through the bay of the Kolahi port in Minab County, but was seized in a joint operation by the Iranian police and naval forces.
The operation also uncovered 50 plastic and metal containers as well as more than 100,000 meters of underground land-to-sea fuel transfer pipelines, said Javidan.
Iran's government offers fuel subsidies, making fuel smuggling a lucrative business.
Source: Xinhua