Arrest of Two 'Spy Tourists' in Hormozgan Waters

The commander of the maritime police in Hormozgan province in southern Iran announced on Wednesday, March 15, the arrest of two 'spies' in the waters of this province. According to a report from the Fars news agency, Ali Mirshamsi made this announcement during a press conference. According to this official, the two individuals had entered the waters of Hormozgan under the guise of tourists. The waters of Hormozgan province encompass a significant portion of the coastline of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. As stated by the commander of the Hormozgan maritime police, 'spy tools' were discovered and confiscated from these two individuals. Mr. Mirshamsi did not provide further details but added that investigations into the two are ongoing. Officials of the Islamic Republic do not have a positive view of foreign tourists, journalists, and individuals working for international organizations, and occasionally arrest some of them on charges of 'espionage.' Dual nationals are also among those at risk of arrest on espionage charges, with several of them having been imprisoned in Iran so far. According to this report, the commander of the Hormozgan maritime police also announced the dismantling of 87 'gangs' involved in smuggling goods into Hormozgan province this year. He stated that 1,024 individuals were arrested in this context. Mr. Mirshamsi identified one of these gangs as the 'largest alcohol smuggling gang' in Hormozgan, with 50 people arrested in connection with it.