10 men arrested for illegal transaction of marine gas oil

SINGAPORE: Ten men have been arrested for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil, the police said on Thursday (Aug 4).

During a joint operation with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), officers from the Police Coast Guard arrested the 10 men, aged between 22 and 48, after they were suspected to be involved in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil at the sea off the southern Tuas Basin.

Six men were crew members of a Singapore-registered tugboat, while the remaining four men were crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat were believed to have misappropriated the marine gas oil without their company’s knowledge by selling it to the crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat, said the police.

The tugboat and cash amounting to S$8,000 were seized as case exhibits, the police added.

All 10 men will be charged in court on Friday, with the men on the Singapore-registered tugboat charged with the offence of criminal breach of trust as a servant.

The remaining four men will be charged with dishonestly receiving stolen property.

If found guilty of criminal breach of trust as a servant, a person can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined. Those found guilty of receiving stolen property can be jailed for up to five years, fined, or both.

The Police Coast Guard and MPA take a serious view of illegal transactions of marine gas oil in Singapore waters, said the police.

"The authorities will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters," they added.