China Detains Tanker within Oil Smuggling Probe

Shispotting Hong-Kong-flagged CSC Friendship has been detained by Chinese officials within an investigation into suspected tax evasion on imported oil, Reuters reports citing customs officers from Guangzhou. According to the customs office, the probe is being conducted into suspected smuggling of light cycle oil (LCO). The 45,800-dwt product tanker, owned by Nanjing Tankers Corporation, was reportedly chartered by Swiss trading house Gunvor during May for shipping oil to China and is now being held to help the investigation. Gunvor confirmed it had delivered oil products aboard the 2008-built ship into China on May 10-14 but said that no vessel had been detained while it was under the companys charter. The customs officers have also detained several individuals for questioning who are linked to the investigation, including an employee of Gunvor. However, no accusations have been raised yet against the trading house or the ships owner, Reuters said. The ship is currently anchored in the East China Sea, off Shanghai, China, based on its latest AIS data from Marine Traffic. World Maritime News Staff; Image Courtesy: Shipspotting