Eight men have been arrested in Singapore over their alleged involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil.
The men, aged between 24 and 61, were caught after the Police Coast Guard officers conducted on Oct. 10 a routine check on a Singapore-registered tugboat and discovered that several crew members were allegedly involved in the illegal transaction.
The discovery led the officers to intercept a foreign-registered tugboat and to arrest several crew members from both vessels.
Preliminary investigations found that the crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat were believed to have misappropriated the marine gas oil, valued at about $6,917, without their company’s knowledge by selling it to the crew members of the foreign-registered tugboat.
The foreign-registered tugboat was seized as case exhibit.
The Police Coast Guard officers arrested three crew members from the Singapore-registered tugboat and another five crew members from the foreign-registered tugboat over their alleged involvement in the illegal transaction of marine gas oil.
A total of 92 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were also uncovered in the possession of the crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat. The 92 sticks of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized and referred to the Singapore Customs.
The three crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat will be charged in court with the offence of criminal breach of trust by employees and the five crew members of the foreign-registered tugboat will be charged in court with the offence of dishonestly receiving stolen property on October 11.
If found guilty of criminal breach of trust by employees, they shall be punished with an imprisonment term, which may extend to 15 years and shall be liable to fine.
If convicted for dishonestly receiving stolen property, they shall be punished with an imprisonment term that may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
In a statement on Oct. 11, the police said they take a serious view of illegal transaction of marine gas oil in Singapore waters.
“The authorities will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters,” the police said.
