Chittagong: The Bangladesh Coast Guard (BCG) has seized a Panama-flagged commercial vessel and a Bangladeshi oil tanker on charges of illegally exchanging fuel oil, evading customs duties at the outer anchorage of Kutubdia in Cox’s Bazar. The maritime law enforcement force also detained nine crew members of the Bangladeshi oil tanker ‘OT Union’ on charges of illegally supplying fuel, BCG’s media officer Lieutenant Commander Md Siam-Ul-Haq confirmed.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the BCG’s vessel ‘Apurba Bangla’ was on regular patrol at the outer anchorage of Kutubdia when the incident was discovered. They observed a foreign commercial ship named ‘MT Dolphin-19’, which was carrying the Panama flag, collecting fuel oil from the Bangladeshi oil tanker ‘OT Union’. The foreign ship managed to collect approximately 356 metric tons of fuel oil from the Bangladeshi tanker, thereby evading a significant amount of government revenue.
Legal proceedings are currently underway, with the Chittagong Port Authority taking appropriate action through the Marine Court.