The Police Coast Guard (PCG) has arrested seven men aged between 20 and 48 for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil (MGO).
On 21 May 2019, in a joint operation with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the PCG arrested three crew members of a craft belonging to a marine service provider and another four crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat for illegal transaction of MGO at the sea off Benoi Basin.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the marine service provider’s craft are believed to have misappropriated 3 metric tonnes of MGO without their company’s knowledge and sold to the crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat. The tugboat was seized for investigations.
The three 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 four crew members of the foreign registered tugboat will be charged in court with dishonestly receiving stolen property on 22 May 2019. If convicted for criminal breach of trust as servant under Section 408 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, they shall be punished with an imprisonment term which may extend to 15 years, and shall also be liable to a fine. If convicted for dishonestly receiving stolen property under Section 411 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, they 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 will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters.
Foreign-registered tugboat involved in the illegal transaction of MGO.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
21 May 2019 @ 11:25 PM