Iranian authorities have intercepted an Eswatini-registered vessel accused of transporting hundreds of thousands of litres of illicit fuel, according to reports from local media on Sunday.

Officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ naval arm said the ship was carrying about 350,000 litres of gasoil believed to have been smuggled. The vessel was taken into custody near Bushehr following a court directive, and its cargo is expected to be offloaded for further inspection.

The commander overseeing the operation said the crew consisted of 13 Indian nationals and one sailor from a neighbouring country. All have been detained pending investigation.