Royal Thai Fleet 1 and Excise Department nab ship carrying diesel

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Chonburi, 11th September 2018 – Royal Thai Fleet 1 and the Excise Department Office in Chonburi have apprehended a ship attempting to smuggle 240,000 liters of diesel fuel through the Gulf of Thailand, sparing the nation a loss of over 10 million baht.

The arrest followed a tip off that a ship carrying untaxed fuel had departed from the Baan Laem district of Petchaburi province. Royal Thai Fleet 1 coordinated with the Excise Department to apprehend the vessel using a naval patrol boat, which tracked down the Chor Tarasamut 2 and confirmed it was carrying illegal cargo. The ship had no documentation for the operation or the diesel and all six of its Thai crew have been detained for the time being. The vessel has now docked at Laem Thien Pier in Chonburi for further investigation.

The ship with its cargo of fuel was apparently headed for Mahachai Pier in Samut Sakhon before it was stopped.

Commander of Royal Thai Fleet 1, Vice Adm Banjob Pohdaeng, who also serves as director of the Region 1 Maritime National Interests Protection Coordination Center, explained that the shipment would have cost the state over 10 million baht in lost tax revenue had it been successful in its alleged smuggling operation.