TEHRAN – The Chief Justice of Hormozgan Province in southern Iran has announced that a provincial appeals court has upheld the verdict issued by the Bandar Abbas Court, finalizing the convictions of 14 members of an organized network involved in smuggling 27 million liters of diesel fuel.

According to the ruling, four ringleaders of the network were each sentenced to five years in prison and fined a combined total of 26 trillion rials (approximately USD 245 million). They have also been barred from all maritime activities, including transport and fishing, for three years.

The remaining defendants received varying prison terms and financial penalties.

Authorities said the smuggling vessel was confiscated by court order after the operation led to an armed confrontation in which the suspects used incendiary materials against law enforcement officers.

Iran continues to grapple with widespread fuel smuggling, both overland and through maritime routes, a problem fueled by the country’s heavily subsidized fuel prices—among the lowest in the world. The sharp price gap between Iran and neighboring countries has long encouraged large-scale illegal fuel transfers.

In response, Iranian authorities, in coordination with the IRGC Navy, the Army, and law enforcement agencies, have intensified efforts to intercept smugglers by land and sea. Official figures indicate that an estimated 25 to 30 million liters of fuel products, including gasoline and diesel, are smuggled out of Iran every day.