Publish Date: 26 November 2019 - 14:43

35% rise in seizure of smuggled fuel at Iranian borders in 8 months

TEHRAN, Nov. 26 (MNA) – Iran’s Border Guard Commander Guardian said on Tuesday that during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year (starting March 21, 2019), the volume of the smuggled fuel seized at Iranian maritime and land borders has increased by 35 percent, in comparison to the same time last year.

As Brigadier General Ghasem Rezaie informed, in the said period, some 62 tons of drugs have also been seized, registering a growth of 59 percent annually.

As reported in early June, Iran has launched a border market to sell diesel fuel to buyers in Pakistan and Afghanistan to counter smuggling of fuel ate border areas.

Fuel, especially diesel, is being moved illegally out of the country through cities bordering Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey, says Alireza Zeighami, deputy oil minister for refining and distribution.

Between 7 million-10 million liters of petrol and diesel are smuggled out every day, according to Iranian state media.

Analysts are attributing a 7 percent rise in fuel consumption to an increase in smuggling activity.

Some 188,747 liters of smuggled fuel have been seized during the previous week in the southeastern province of Iran, Sistan and Balouchestan, said Police Chief of Sistan and Balouchestan province Brigadier General Mohammad Ghanbari on Monday.