85,000 litres of diesel seized off Sattahip in fuel smuggling case
A suspected fuel smuggling case was uncovered on March 27 off Sattahip, Chon Buri, after the Royal Thai Navy and multiple agencies inspected a tugboat and found 85,000 litres of diesel with no clear origin.
The First Naval Area Command, working with Thai-MECC Region 1 and agencies including the Marine Department and the Excise Department, inspected a vessel off Sattahip under relevant laws and regulations.
Officials said the vessel was the tugboat Wor Krisana 9, with a gross tonnage of 86.37, heading south. The boat was taken under control and brought to dock at Chuk Samet Pier inside Sattahip Naval Base.
Inspectors reported violations linked to the vessel’s operating licence under the Navigation in Thai Waters Act, including the absence of the vessel name and registration number displayed at the bow.
The licence documents listed the vessel name as Ro Anong 7, which did not match the vessel, and the vessel licence and crew documents were reportedly not kept in line with regulations. The case was forwarded to the Marine Department for settlement by fine.
During the inspection, officials also found 85,000 litres of fuel in the vessel’s hold that could not be traced to a source. The Excise Department and the Naval Logistics Department took samples for testing and said the fuel was B0 diesel, which falls under suspected excise law violations.
Officials said they would confirm the quantity of the seized fuel before taking legal action. The estimated fine was about 3,857,640 baht.
Khaosod reported that officials would continue strict action to block fuel smuggling aimed at avoiding tax, particularly during periods of volatile fuel prices and high demand.
The agencies said the measures are intended to protect Thailand’s maritime interests and maintain public confidence that operations are conducted within legal authority and frameworks.
In a separate development, officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) found three illegal fuel storage sites in Saraburi province, seizing more than 29,000 litres of suspected smuggled diesel and gasoline during a nationwide crackdown.
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