Singapore has arrested seven men for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction involving marine gas oil (MGO).
The seven, aged between 20 and 48, were detained in a joint operation by the Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA).
Three of those arrested were crew aboard a craft belonging to a marine service provider, while the other four were crew members aboard a foreign-registered tug.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the marine service provider’s craft are believed to have misappropriated three 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 PCG said in a statement.
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.
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 five years, or with fine, or both.
“The PCG and the MPA take a serious view of illegal transaction of marine fuel in Singapore waters,” the statement added.
“The PCG will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters.”
