Post by : Rameen Ariff

Singapore authorities arrested eight men on Friday, October 10, for their alleged involvement in the illegal sale of marine gas oil. The arrests followed routine inspections conducted by the Police Coast Guard in Singapore waters near Tuas.

During the checks, officers boarded a Singapore-registered tugboat and discovered that several crew members were allegedly participating in unlawful transactions. Three of these crew members were immediately arrested.

Further inspections led authorities to intercept a foreign-registered tugboat in the area, where five more men were taken into custody.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew of the Singapore-registered tugboat had allegedly sold marine gas oil, valued at approximately S$6,917 (US$5,330), to the crew of the foreign-registered tugboat without the knowledge of their company. The foreign tugboat was subsequently seized by authorities.

Additionally, officers found 92 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes on the Singapore-registered vessel. These were confiscated and handed over to Singapore Customs for further action.

The three crew members from the Singapore-registered tugboat are scheduled to be charged on Saturday with criminal breach of trust by employees, an offence that carries a potential jail term of up to 15 years and fines if convicted. The five crew members of the foreign-registered tugboat will face charges of dishonestly receiving stolen property, which could result in a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both.

A spokesperson from the Singapore Police Force emphasized that the authorities take illegal transactions of marine gas oil in Singapore waters very seriously. They confirmed that regular enforcement and security checks will continue to deter, prevent, and detect such illegal activities in the future.

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