A pump attendant refuels a motorcycle at a gas station in Thailand. Photo by AFP
Thai police said Tuesday they had arrested a Myanmar national accused of trying to smuggle 120 liters of diesel out of Thailand, days after the country banned fuel exports due to the Middle East war.
Police in Kanchanaburi Province stopped the 25-year-old man late Monday about 30 meters (100 feet) from the border with Myanmar, while he was hauling four 30-liter containers filled with diesel in the sidecar of a motorbike, a police statement said.
He was charged with exporting goods without going through customs procedures and illegally entering Thailand.
Officers ordered the man to stop his vehicle at around 11:00 p.m. (1600 GMT), finding him without identification and the large containers filled with fuel.
“Upon questioning, the individual stated that the diesel fuel was intended to be transported to Myanmar,” police said.
The amount of fuel is equivalent to about one tank of a full-size pick-up truck.
The war in the Middle East, triggered by U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, has caused disruptions to oil and gas supplies and price fluctuations that have rocked Asian countries heavily reliant on Gulf exports.
Thailand announced last week it was suspending fuel exports to conserve its holdings.
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