The patrol team of Coast Guard Intelligence Division No. 2 found a fishing vessel off the coast of Cà Mau Province carrying 55,000 litres of smuggled diesel on June 21. — Photo courtesy of the Việt Nam Coast Guard

CÀ MAU — The Coast Guard has seized nearly 55,000 litres of contraband diesel from a fishing vessel operating off the coast of 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, on June 24 said that his patrol team discovered the vessel TG-93740-TS about 100 nautical miles southeast of Hòn Khoai Island at around 11:30pm on June 21.

Officers boarded the vessel and found oil of unknown origin.

On board were its captain, Nguyễn Việt Phan, of Kiên Giang, and three crew members.

Phan and his crew failed to produce any invoices or documents proving the legal origin of the fuel.

The patrol team also found that the registration number painted on the hull was falsified to evade law enforcement.

At 9am on June 24, the patrol team brought the vessel ashore, and handed the case over to Squadron No. 422 under the Coast Guard Region No. 4 Command, which is based on Phú Quốc Island, for further investigation. — VNS