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SINGAPORE: Eleven men, aged between 32 and 58, were arrested in the early hours of Sunday (Feb 22) for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction of marine gas oil.<\/p>\n
Officers from the police coast guard arrested the crew members of a Singapore-registered tugboat and a foreign-registered tugboat at about 1.40am in the sea off Selat Pauh, Singapore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Preliminary investigations revealed that four crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat allegedly misappropriated marine gas oil valued at about S$5,000 (US$3,900) without their company\u2019s knowledge, the police said in a news release.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The oil was allegedly intended to be sold illegally to seven crew members of a foreign-registered tugboat for personal financial gain.<\/p>\n
The men will be charged on Monday.<\/p>\n
The crew members of the Singapore-registered tugboat will be charged with criminal breach of trust, while the remaining suspects from the foreign-registered tugboat will be charged with attempting to dishonestly receive stolen property.<\/p>\n
Those convicted of criminal breach of trust may face a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine.<\/p>\n
If convicted of the offence of attempting to dishonestly receive stolen property, a person may face a jail term of up to five years, a fine, or both.<\/p>\n
The police said they take a serious view of illegal transactions of marine gas oil in Singapore waters.<\/p>\n
“The authorities will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter, and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n