The Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) has arrested 11 men, aged between 31 and 52, for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil.
On 30 October 2019, in a joint operation with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the PCG arrested six crew members of a craft belonging to a marine service provider and another five crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat.
They were charged with the illegal transaction of marine gas oil (MGO) at the sea off Northern Tuas, Singapore.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the marine service provider’s craft are believed to have misappropriated the MGO and sold it to the crew members of the foreign-registered tugboat. The tugboat was seized for investigations.
The six crew members of the craft owned by a marine service provider will be charged in court with criminal breach of trust as servant and the five crew members of the foreign-registered tugboat will be charged in court with dishonestly receiving stolen property on 1 November 2019.
According to Singapore’s law,
- anyone convicted of criminal breach of trust as servant under Section 408 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, shall be punished with an imprisonment term which may extend to 15 years and shall also be liable to a fine.
- anyone convicted of dishonestly receiving stolen property under Section 411 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, shall be punished with an imprisonment term that may extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with both.
The PCG and MPA take a serious view of illegal transaction of marine fuel in Singapore waters. The PCG and MPA will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters.
The MPA was established with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests.
To protect Singapore’s hard-earned reputation as a conducive place for business and investment and as an international maritime hub, the authority has consistently uphold the rule of law.
Singapore has one of the lowest crime rates in the world and is well-known as one of the safest country.