Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker in the Sea of Oman on suspicion of fuel smuggling, the country’s judiciary confirmed on Wednesday.

According to Mojtaba Ghahremani, head of the judiciary in southern Hormozgan province, the vessel was intercepted after officials found that its cargo documentation was incomplete. The ship was reportedly carrying two million litres of smuggled fuel, Ghahremani said via the judiciary’s Mizan Online outlet.

Seventeen people, including the captain and crew members, have been detained. Authorities have not yet revealed the nationality of the vessel or those arrested. The cargo is now undergoing laboratory testing and document verification to determine its legality, the report added.

This incident follows a series of similar seizures. In recent months, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards detained two Tanzanian-flagged tankers — the Sea Ranger and Salama — in the Gulf for allegedly transporting 1.5 million litres of diesel. Those ships and their 25 foreign crew members were moved to the port of Bushehr for further legal proceedings.

Fuel smuggling remains a significant issue in Iran, driven by the country’s heavily subsidized fuel prices — among the lowest in the world — which create incentives for illegal exports.