KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 (NNN-BERNAMA) — The tanker detained by Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRB) in Hormuz Strait recently is not Malaysian owned and the 16 crew are not Malaysians, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah clarified today.
He was commenting on a recent news report that the IRB had seized a ship suspected of fuel-smuggling and arrested 16 Malaysian crew members.
The report, which appeared in Iran’s state television IRIB website said the IRB confiscated 1.3 million litres of “smuggled fuel” from the unnamed vessel 15 nautical miles from Abu Musa island.
The ship’s 16 crew, alleged to be Malaysians, were also arrested, it quoted the IRB’ naval commander for the region, Brigadier General Ali Ozmayi as saying.
Abu Musa is one of three islands in the southern Gulf that are under Iranian control but claimed by the United Arab Emirates.
“This is the sixth ship smuggling fuel that (the Guards’) navy has confiscated,” Ozmayi was quoted saying.
According to the state media, in September Iran also seized a boat and arrested 12 Filipino crewmen from a suspected fuel-smuggling ring in the Strait of Hormuz.
A “foreign tanker” in Gulf waters on July 14 was also caught for allegedly smuggling contraband fuel.
Iran also seized another ship on July 31 with seven foreign crew aboard over fuel smuggling, but it never revealed the vessel’s identity or the nationality of its crew.
