10 seafarers arrested over alleged fuel smuggling in Singapore

10 seafarers arrested over alleged fuel smuggling in Singapore
Gary Dixon 28 March 2022 https://www.tradewindsnews.com/offshore/10-seafarers-arrested-over-alleg...

Crew members of domestic and overseas tugs targeted off Sembawang Shipyard

Singapore police have arrested 10 seafearers from two tugs allegedly involved in an illegal bunker transfer.

The Police Coast Guard (PCG) held the men aged between 32 and 49 over a marine gasoil (MGO) deal on 23 March.

The operation was carried out with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

Three seafarers were arrested on a Singapore-flag vessel, and the other seven were detained on a foreign-registered tug.

The alleged transfer had taken place at sea off Sembawang Shipyard, the police statement said.

The PCG has detained the foreign vessel and seized SGD $31,000 ($20,735) in cash.

The three domestic crew members were due to be charged with criminal breach of trust, while the other seven were facing charges of dishonestly receiving stolen property.

The first offence carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine.

The crew members on the overseas tug could be jailed for up to seven years.

“The PCG and MPA take a serious view of illegal transactions of marine fuel in Singapore waters,” the PCG said.

“The PCG will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters,” it added.

Tanker sold after Shell smuggling case

Last year, the 12,000-dwt tanker Prime South (built 2009) was sold in Singapore for a knock-down price of $4.3m after it was involved in fuel smuggling.

The sale was unusual as it was the Singapore police rather than the High Court that auctioned the ship.

The police seized the Prime South in 2018 on suspicion of the vessel having received stolen marine gas oil from the Shell refinery on Pulau Bukom, the oil major’s largest petrochemical production and export facility in Asia.

Investigations revealed that between 2017 and 2018, the tanker had received stolen bunkers estimated to be worth around $7.1m from the refinery.

The thefts were part of a larger heist carried out by former Shell employees that led to the misappropriation of oil valued at $36.1m in total.