On 9 July 2017, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) arrested nine men, aged between 29 and 51, for the illegal sale of four metric tonnes of Marine Gas Oil (MGO) which has a market value of about S$2,500. The PCG also seized a foreign tugboat and cash amounting to S$2,200.
On 9 July 2017 at about 4 pm, information was received about an illegal sale of MGO at the sea off Jurong Shipyard. PCG officers followed up and conducted investigations on a Singapore registered tugboat with four crew members on board. It was revealed that the crew members had sold four metric tonnes of MGO to the crew of a foreign registered tugboat without their company’s knowledge. In addition, cash amounting to $2,200 believed to be involved in the illegal sales was recovered. The four crew members were arrested and the cash was seized for investigations.
Not long after, PCG successfully tracked down the foreign registered tugboat on the same day and detained the five crew members on board. They were unable to provide a satisfactory account of the excess of MGO found on board their tugboat. As such, the five crew members were arrested and their tugboat was also seized for investigations.
Eight crew members will be charged in Court on 11 July 2017 for the offence of Criminal Breach of Trust as Servant punishable under section 408 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. Investigations against the other man is still ongoing.
Commander of the Police Coast Guard, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Hsu Sin Yun commended his officers for their excellent work which resulted in the swift arrest. He also warned that illegal transaction of MGO inside Singapore waters is a serious offence. PCG will take strict enforcement actions against such offenders.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
10 July 2017 @ 8:40 PM