Fuel Smuggling

Fuel Smuggling

Sadegh Souri

Six million litres of diesel and paraffin oil are smuggled from Iran to Pakistan every day, which amounts to about two billion litres every year. More than 3,000 vehicles in Sistan and Baluchistan province are smuggling fuel.

Joblessness, drought, and the low price of fuel in Iran, as compared to Pakistan, are the main reasons for fuel smuggling. Many young people in Sistan and Baluchistan Province seek this profitable and dangerous job.

To prevent fuel smuggling, crossing the border in a vehicle is forbidden without permission. Therefore, the drivers of fuel smuggling vehicles drive very fast to escape from the police. As a result, the vehicles often crash, flip, and catch fire. If a vehicles enters the border zone, the police have the authority to shoot. An average of 10 to 20 people are maimed or killed every month in these shooting or accidents.

Smugglers enter diesel depots or Mandi at sunset. The depots are built where smugglers live and it increases the risk of fire in the houses and the injury of women and children. After filling the fuel cans, the smugglers set out to Pakistan border. Every vehicle carries almost 2000 litres of fuel.
Aslan in 12. He carries smuggled fuel in a mandi in Pakistan.
Smugglers drive at about 180 to 220 km/h on the border roads. They use smoking materials to prevent the guards? vision.If they are caught by the police, they will be fined one to two million tomans. In many cases, the guards fire at them.
During the past month, the police have fired at Abu Bakr?s car 3 times, but he has survived each time. In the last shooting, 4 bullets hit the windscreen.
The Iranian government decided to build a wall in the flat areas and barbed wire fences in the mountainous areas to prevent fuel smuggling and the entering of opposing groups. Therefore, the people decided to use donkeys to carry fuel on the mountains.
More than 3000 vehicles are smuggling fuel in Sistan and Baluchistan Province. They gather on border point zero which is the last point the cars can go. They unload their cargo there, and other people carry the fuel on donkeys on the mountains to Pakistan
During 2013 to 2016, about 10,000 donkeys were used to smuggle fuel on Iran Pakistan border.
On the impassable paths where donkeys cannot take loads, fuel smugglers carry diesel barrels by hand.
A diesel smuggling vehicle that has caught fire by the shooting of the police force. The driver lost his life in the incident.
The fuel vehicles return to Iran at night on the hard mountain roads.
Abdowahed is 28. He is an agriculture BS. After the drought in Sistan Baluchistan and the drying of his orchards, he resorted to smuggling diesel. He says smuggling diesel has good money in it, but it is a very hard and dirty job. After selling his diesel, he washes himself in the nearest spring on Pakistan border. He says if the Iranian government established a factory or created a good job here, he would never smuggle fuel.
When drivers reach border zero point, they deliver the fuel to the owner of the depot or Mandi owner, rest a while, and then return home. Hossein is a big Mandi in Pakistan owner on the border. More than 200 vehicles with 2000 litres of diesel unload in Hossein?s Mandi and get the money for their fuel.
These people are Sunnite Muslims. They say prayers 5 times a day. They start work after saying the Morning Prayer, and those who smuggle fuel, go to the border in their vehicles.
During 2013 to 2016, about 10,000 donkeys were used to smuggle fuel on Iran Pakistan border. about 3000 donkeys have died on Iran Pakistan border because of hard work, the mountainous path, and the heavy load.
Abdullah. Four years ago he was going to Saravan border, the only border controlled by barbed wire instead of a wall, with more than 2200 litres of diesel. They wanted to give the diesel to the local people who crossed the border with their donkeys. They were driving fast. Their car capsized and Abdullah had 50% burn. He has lost 8 of his fingers.
Eesa was the help in a fuel vehicle. They were going to the border with 2500 litres of diesel when the police fired at them. Their vehicle was shot by a few bullets. The driver lost control of the car and the car capsized outside the road. Eesa was shot and lost his leg.
Naser and his father started smuggling fuel to earn a living. On the first night of their work, they went to the fuel depot with 50 empty barrels. The police fired at them. Naser was hit by the bullet in his spinal column and was seriously wounded. Naser and his father sued the police and after two years, they succeeded in getting 30 million for compensation. But Naser is confined to the house and cannot work.
Mohammad lives in a border village. He was grazing the sheep on Lake Hamoon bed 8 years ago. When the police fired at the escaping fuel smugglers in the place Mohammad was grazing his sheep, he was accidentally shot in the left eye, and the bullet exited through his right eye. He lost both eyes in the surgery. The officer who fired at Mohammad was never identified. He has two daughters and one son, and earns a living in a small shop in the village.
Hajar?s father kept diesel in his house, and their house was the diesel depot where the smugglers loaded. Hajar was playing near the diesel barrels when they caught fire. She was burnt severely. Hajar has had a few surgeries, but her father cannot cover the hospital expenses any more. The father lost everything in the fire. Hajar and her father have become seriously depressed after the fire, and they seldom heave home.
Dadmohammad lives in a border village in Iran. He used to be a farmer. After the droughts in Sistan, he could not go on farming. He says they didn?t have even bread to eat. He and other villagers decided to smuggle fuel with their donkeys 8 years ago. They took 4 cans to Iran Afghanistan border every day and earned a living. One day the police fired at them and he lost his leg.
Ahmad was taking 1500 litres of diesel to the border. The police ordered him to stop at a checkpoint, but he drove away. After a few kilometres? pursuit, the officers threw caltrops under his car. The tyre burst, the car capsized, Ahmad was throw out and injured his arm seriously. He was taken to the hospital and the doctors had to amputate his arm. He takes fares now, with only one arm.
Lal Khan took 2000 litres of diesel to the Pakistan border. On his way back, there was a shooting. He was shot and taken to the hospital after bleeding severely for half an hour on the road. His spinal cord was damaged. Lal Khan does not know who shot him. He is now paralysed in two legs.
Ahmad used to be a fisher and earned a living on Lake Hamoon. After the lake dried up, Ahmad decided to carry diesel to the eastern borders on his donkey. The police stopped him and confiscated his load. On the way back, the police shot him in the leg, and his donkey was shot to death. People took Ahmad to the hospital. The bullet had destroyed his leg bone and the doctors amputated his leg.
To cover the expenses of his sister?s wedding, Behrooz and his brother decided to smuggle fuel. They took 2000 litres of diesel to the border. On the way and around Lake Hamoon, they encountered the police. The police fired, Behrooz was hit in the leg, and he was taken to the hospital. The bullet had destroyed his pelvis and he had not been well yet after a few surgeries.
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