According to Reuters, the Iraqi Navy announced last week that it had detained a Liberian-flagged oil tanker within its territorial waters as part of efforts to combat maritime fuel smuggling.

Fuel smuggling is rampant in the Gulf region, where heavily subsidized fuel from some countries is sold on the black market across the area. However, Iraqi authorities have rarely seized vessels before.

Earlier this week, the tanker carrying 93,000 tons of fuel oil was intercepted near the Basra oil terminal, 26 nautical miles off the Iraqi coast. Both authorities and shipping sources confirmed the vessel as the “Liliana.”

LILIANA (IMO 9297905, MMSI 636024578) is a crude oil tanker built in 2005 and currently sailing under the Liberian flag.

Reuters footage showed Iraqi armed forces boarding and searching the ship on Tuesday. Crew members were questioned and their passports inspected. The video also showed another vessel being intercepted and searched.

Farhan Al-Fartousi, head of the Iraqi Ports Company, stated that after receiving information about smuggling and illegal oil activities in the area, authorities launched a comprehensive inspection operation. “Any ship engaging in suspicious activities in Iraqi waters will be detained, and anyone proven guilty or involved will be arrested,” he said during the tanker inspection.

Navy and Defense Ministry sources indicated the oil on board might originate from Iraq and was likely being smuggled out. The vessel will remain in detention until its documents are submitted to the judiciary, after which it will be towed to port for court rulings.

Liliana’s ship management company, Babylon Navigation, headquartered in Dubai, is listed in shipping databases but did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

LSEG vessel tracking data shows the tanker’s last position was anchored off the Iraqi coast, previously calling at Iraq’s Khor Al Zubair port.

In March, the Iraqi Navy also intercepted an unidentified vessel in Iraqi waters suspected of fuel smuggling.