After seizing an illegal oil smuggling network and more than 23,231,700 litres of diesel fuel in internal waters, the territorial sea, and the contiguous zone on the Gulf of Thailand, the Central Investigation Bureau Police, Operations Centre, Centre for the Protection of National Maritime Interests, and Excise Department’s Prevention and Suppression Inspection Office announced the arrest.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop Phuridej, Central Investigation Bureau commander, said more than 10 individuals have been accused of “jointly transporting and unloading goods in the contiguous zone without permission from the employees, customs, and transporting products out of vehicles without customs permission.” It has been separated into 7 cases, 10 crimes, and 2,700 million baht in penalties.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Jirapop added that officials had received complaints about green oil smuggling or duty-free diesel fuel from the Ministry of Energy, which are sold in the middle of the sea to reduce the cost of transporting and selling fish in the Gulf of Thailand.
This network also secretly loads and unloads ships without customs permission, damaging the country and hurting groups of fishing boats that respect the rules but lack green oil.
