DHAKA, Feb 6, 2025 (BSS) - 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 crews of Bangladeshi oil tanker “OT Union” on charges of illegally supplying fuel, BCG’s media officer Lieutenant Commander Md Siam-Ul-Haq confirmed this today.

He said the BCG’s vessel ‘Apurba Bangla’ was on regular patrol at the outer anchorage of Kutubdia.

They saw a foreign commercial ship named 'MT Dolphin-19' carrying the Panama flag at the outer anchorage of Kutubdia collecting fuel oil from another Bangladeshi oil tanker 'OT Union'.

The foreign ship collected approximately 356 metric tons of fuel oil from the Bangladeshi oil tanker evading the government a huge amount of revenue, the media officer added.

An appropriate legal action of the Chittagong Port Authority is on process through the Marine Court.