Arrested on board the 141-ton Noknaan Naam 16 were the skipper, a Burmese named as Li-au, and six Burmese crewmen.
The diesel, if sold at the pumps in Phuket, would fetch about B7 million. The value of the tanker was estimated at B8 million.
Diesel sells in Malaysia for about B18.60, compared with B32-35 in Thailand, resulting in big profits for smugglers who can successfully bring diesel from Malaysia into Thailand. Most of the smuggled fuel aboard tankers such as the Noknaan Naam 16 is sold to Thai fishing boats.
Rakop Srisuppaad, head of Customs Investigations in Phuket, said the smuggling of oil in this case was believed to be a criminal conspiracy involving people from three countries, with a Thai-owned tanker, a Burmese crew and diesel from Malaysia.
He declined to name the owner of the tanker because the investigation is ongoing.
“We believe this is a big diesel smuggling operation involving another six vessels that we have so far not been able to catch.”