The Pakistan Coast Guards have seized more than 15,000 liters of Iranian diesel smuggled into the country through Balochistan province. This significant operation highlights the ongoing issue of fuel smuggling across the Iran-Pakistan border.
Iranian petroleum products, known for being the world’s cheapest due to low production costs, international sanctions, and a weak currency, are frequently smuggled into Pakistan. The smuggling is facilitated by the 900-kilometer (560-mile) porous and largely lawless border shared by the two countries, where militants and smugglers operate with relative impunity.
In a routine check at the Uthal checkpoint, Pakistan Coast Guards intercepted two vehicles carrying 10,370 liters of illegal Iranian diesel. An additional 5,270 liters were recovered from three vehicles in a separate operation between Balochistan’s Lasbela and Hub districts.
This recent seizure follows a larger operation earlier this year, in which Pakistan’s Frontier Constabulary (FC) force confiscated approximately 379,000 liters of smuggled Iranian diesel at the Sindh-Balochistan border. The persistent smuggling of Iranian fuel into Pakistan has significantly impacted the local market.
Pakistani petroleum dealers reported a substantial increase in the smuggling of Iranian fuel, estimating that up to 35 percent of the diesel sold in the country had been illegally imported from Iran. This ongoing illegal trade not only affects the local economy but also poses challenges to law enforcement agencies in the region.
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