Iraq's navy has detained a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in its territorial waters as part of a crackdown on fuel smuggling at sea, sources with the navy and oil and transport ministries said
Iraq's navy has detained a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in its territorial waters as part of a crackdown on fuel smuggling at sea, sources with the navy and oil and transport ministries said on Friday.
Smuggling is common in Gulf waters, where heavily subsidised fuel from some countries is sold on the black market to buyers across the region, though it has been relatively rare until recently for Iraqi authorities to seize ships.
The vessel - identified by both the authorities and shipping sources as the Liliana tanker - was carrying 93,000 metric tons of fuel oil when it was intercepted earlier this week 26 nautical miles from Iraq's coast near Basra's oil terminal.
Reuters footage showed an armed Iraqi military team boarding and searching the vessel on Tuesday with the crew being questioned and their passports checked. Another ship was also stopped and searched, the footage showed.
Farhan Al-Fartousi, head of the General Company for Iraqi Ports, said the authorities had launched a comprehensive inspection operation after receiving information about smuggling and illegal oil operations in the area.
"Any vessels ... engaging in suspicious activities within Iraqi territorial waters will be detained, and anyone proven guilty and anyone involved will
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