KARACHI – The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) has apprehended three boats – Al-Hakeemi, Al-Haleemi and Al-Mubashar – and arrested 33 crewmembers for smuggling Iranian fuel. A PMSA ship, while carrying out routine patrolling in the western maritime region, seized the three Pakistani boats that were carrying 80,000 litres of Iranian diesel, said a press release issued by the PMSA on Sunday. It said that the boats and the 33 crewmembers were handed over to the Customs authorities in Gwadar for further action. Smuggling of Iranian fuel and consumer goods is rampant in the western coastal towns of the country due to the poor communication infrastructure linking these areas to Karachi and other major cities of the country. The PMSA is continuing its efforts to stop the smuggling of Iranian goods into Pakistan through the maritime route.
