The Chief Justice of Hormozgan, Mojtaba Ghahremani, stated that “the seizure operation was part of efforts to combat fuel smuggling networks.” He explained that the tanker was navigating waters under the jurisdiction of the Sultanate of Oman without any shipping documents or a bill of lading, according to Iranian media.
He added that the ship’s crew, consisting of 18 sailors from India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, had turned off all navigation devices before the seizure. He noted that Iranian authorities confiscated the tanker to take necessary legal actions.
