Mazaar's (name changed) small motorbike is so laden with plastic canisters filled with petrol that there's barely room for him to sit. His worn-out bike is carrying five 70-litre oil containers, weighing roughly 600 pounds (272kg) in total. The fuel hangs precariously from the sides of his bike, strapped on with rope and string. He bought it at an open-air fuel market in Mastung, in Balochistan, Pakistan's biggest and poorest province, where he lives. Pick-up trucks loaded with plastic containers take fuel there to sell, having smuggled it across the border from Iran. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing BBC News.
While the illegal smuggling of petroleum products from Iran into Pakistan has been taking place for decades, there are signs it has been increasing in recent months as a result of the US-Israeli war against Iran. With the war heavily disrupting flows of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, fuel prices have surged, boosting demand in Pakistan for cheaper smuggled petrol and diesel from Iran.
Like thousands of smugglers in Balochistan, Mazaar ferries fuel to other open-air markets and unofficial petrol stations. He's getting ready to travel 350km (about 220 miles) through one of the hottest regions on Earth to take the fuel to the neighbouring province, Sindh. Temperatures in Balochistan can reach up to 50C (120F), causing the plastic fuel canisters to swell and soften. If they split or the lid leaks while Mazaar is riding, there's a risk of the fuel catching fire and even exploding. Smugglers are regularly killed this way.
For decades there have been clashes in Balochistan between Pakistani forces and insurgent separatist groups demanding greater autonomy. Amid the conflict, activists say thousands of people have disappeared. "We do this because we don't have any other option," Mazaar tells the BBC World Service. "The weather is hot, the prices are high and we spend day and night on the road."
The exact scale of smuggling operations is not known, but in 2024 the Japanese news website Nikkei Asia reported that a leaked report from Pakistan's intelligence agencies estimated that fuel worth $1bn (£745m) was smuggled from Iran into Pakistan annually. In May this year, Pakistan's five major oil refineries said the cross-border flow of petroleum products was increasing and sent a letter to the government urging it to intervene. Separately, this month the Oil Companies Advisory Council, which represents Pakistan's oil industry, wrote to the government to say official petroleum sales for this time of year had hit a 27-year low, in part due to the rise in fuel smuggling.
Mazaar, who is in his late 30s, is the main breadwinner for a large family that includes his one child and many brothers. He says he became a fuel smuggler three to four months ago when drought meant he was no longer able to farm. He is among 2.4 million people in Balochistan's population of about 15 million estimated to be involved in fuel smuggling between Iran and Pakistan, according to the leaked Pakistani intelligence report seen by Nikkei Asia.
Fuel smuggling is illegal in Pakistan, with punishments ranging from fines and vehicle seizures in smaller cases to prison sentences for larger operations. But Fida Hussain Dashti, former president of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Balochistan, argues that it is vital for the region's economy because there are so few opportunities for work. Bordering Iran to the west and Afghanistan to the north, Balochistan covers around 44% of Pakistan's landmass but has just 6% of its population. Although it is rich in mineral resources, it has poverty levels similar to some of the poorest parts of the world, which has been a source of anger in the region. "People are helpless and have no other way," says Dashti, who argues that the Pakistani government should have done more to create employment opportunities in the region. "Even a student who graduates with an MA degree ends up joining this oil business."
Irfan, whose name has also been changed for his safety, says there's no other work he can do because of his disability. After contracting polio, movement in one of his legs and one of his hands is severely limited. He has also been smuggling for several months, and transports diesel because it is safer than petrol and less likely to ignite. "I can't carry petrol because what if it catches fire? If I can't stand up, I'll get badly burned," he says.