GWADAR: Authorities have imposed an immediate ban on all oil-carrying vehicles — particularly Zamyad trucks and similar transporters — from moving fuel between Jiwani, Paanwaan, and Gwadar city as part of a renewed push to curb large-scale smuggling from Iran. A notification issued by the Gwadar district administration warned drivers to avoid travelling towards Jiwani, declaring that violators would face strict legal action, including on-the-spot confiscation.
Read More: Customs Karachi seizes smuggled Iranian diesel worth millions
Law enforcement agencies including the police, Pakistan Coast Guard, and Frontier Corps have been directed to strictly enforce the ban. Officials say the decision aims to disrupt an entrenched illegal trade that drains the national exchequer of billions of rupees annually. A 2020 inquiry estimated that oil smuggling from Iran exceeded Rs250 billion a year.
More recent intelligence reports indicate that nearly 10 million litres of Iranian petrol and diesel are smuggled daily into Pakistan, causing revenue losses of more than Rs227 billion. The thriving smuggling economy is fuelled by large price differences between Pakistan and Iran, with thousands of boats, makeshift storage facilities, and modified trucks contributing to the supply chain.
Read More: Oil sales rise 10% in may as smuggling drops and demand improves
According to authorities, the main smuggling route begins in Sistan, Iran, where speed boats carry fuel through the Dasht river to Jiwani. From there, the cargo is moved to Gwadar and transported further into Balochistan and parts of Punjab and Sindh. While the illegal trade is a lifeline for many locals, officials warn it continues to undermine legitimate markets and enables organised crime.
Past regional tensions have shown the fragility of this dependence. During a recent Israel-Iran conflict, disruptions in Iranian oil supply forced dozens of petrol pumps to close across Turbat, Gwadar, Panjgur, Chagai, Washuk, and Mashkail, causing both fuel and food shortages. Although successive governments have attempted to curb the practice, smuggling remains widespread, prompting fresh enforcement directives and new digital tracking measures approved earlier this year.
Read More: Illegal smuggling of oil mars Green Turtles’ habitat along Daran Beach