Coast Guard seizes 55,000 litres of smuggled diesel off Cà Mau coast

Vietnamese authorities say the coast guard has seized nearly 55,000 litres of contraband diesel from a fishing vessel operating off the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Cà Mau. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Phan Nhân Hậu, head of the Đồng Nai City-based Intelligence Division No 2 under the Việt Nam Coast Guard, said patrol officers discovered the vessel TG-93740-TS about 100 nautical miles southeast of Hòn Khoai Island at around 11:30pm on June 21. After boarding, they found oil of unknown origin and cargo documentation was not provided by the captain, Nguyễn Việt Phan, or the three crew members. Investigators also said the registration number painted on the hull was falsified to avoid enforcement. On June 24 at 9am, the vessel was brought ashore and handed to Squadron No. 422 of Coast Guard Region No. 4, based on Phú Quốc Island, for further investigation.