Oil smuggling from mother vessels goes on unabated

Some businessmen and shipbreaking yard owners have long been involved in smuggling fuel from mother vessels at Chattogram Port, due to poor monitoring by the authorities concerned.

Many crew members on mother vessels, responsible for transporting thousands of tonnes of oil from foreign locations, are directly involved in the organised crime, said police.

During this process, personnel who're on board anchored mother vessels send signals to the boats of the illicit traffickers, who then approach them in lighter vessels.

Once they reach the outer anchorage in the deep sea, they get their plastic drums filled with fuel oil -- including petrol, octane, diesel, and furnace oil -- transact in cash, and return through the river Karnaphuli.

Unrefined edible oil is also looted in the illegal operation.

During the whole covert mission, they evade the law enforcement agencies. After collection, they sell the oil in various local markets, causing a huge revenue loss to the state.

Locals and police said Karnaphuli, Patenga, EPZ, and Khatunganj areas have become dens of smuggled oil.

According to the sources at River Police, Coast Guard (East Zone), and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the oil traffickers have organised themselves into syndicates and have long been active in such smuggling.

BPC, which is entrusted with importing, distributing, and marketing oil and petroleum products, expressed frustration over the failure to prevent such illicit transport.

To eliminate this, around three years ago, BPC recommended that Chattogram District Administration initiate mobile court drives. But the matter has gotten stuck in the official process.

BPC officials said they sent a letter to the district administration on January 11, 2021. But steps are yet to be taken.

This correspondent has obtained a copy of the letter signed by the then BPC Director (Sale) Md Samsudduha.

The letter proposes the consistent deployment of mobile courts to curb the smuggling and unauthorised sale of oil.

It also highlights that, due to lower fuel prices in the international market, unscrupulous businessmen are purchasing it at a reduced cost and selling it at prices below the local market rate, resulting in revenue losses.

In reply to the BPC letter, the then Additional District Magistrate Sumni Akhter of Chattogram District Administration on February 1, 2021, said, "The [errant] vessels, boats, and ship breaking yards have to be identified before operating mobile courts…"

Later, a list has to be submitted to the DC office, according to the letter.

Seeking anonymity, a higher official of BPC Chattogram told The Daily Star, "The shipping department holds the authority to issue and renew licences for small boats and other vessels. Therefore, they can easily identify the illegal ones."

The BPC official said they sent a letter to the Department of Shipping in 2021, seeking a list of vessels authorised for carrying oil and requesting them to exercise thorough scrutiny and restrictions while issuing and renewing licences for vessels.

He said smugglers use licences that are for other purposes, but not the licences that are required for transporting oil.

A letter was also sent to the home ministry via the energy ministry in the same year to take necessary steps against oil smuggling, but to no avail, he said.

"As they [district administration] have magistracy power, they can launch the mobile court drives," he said.

Contacted, Khalid Ahmed, director (operation and planning) of BPC, said, "Our role in the middle of the river is limited to notifying the coastguards, navy, and police to take necessary action."

Despite accusations of insufficient action against oil smuggling, the River Police, Coast Guard, and Rab have arrested oil smugglers and seized their lighter vessels and boats in the Karnaphuli.

News reports indicate that there have been nearly 12 instances of such operations between 2021 and 2023. Several criminal cases have been filed in connection with these incidents.

Rakib Hasan, additional deputy magistrate of Chattogram DC office, said, "We will take actions as per the law."

This correspondent contacted several officials of the Department of Shipping. But no one of them wanted to comment on the issue.