Business

Gard: Turkey – a case of undeclared bunker fuel

‘Undeclared/excess bunkers can be considered a criminal act by Turkish customs officials with the ship’s crew being accused of smuggling’, warns maritime insurer.

Published

6 years ago

July 13, 2020

Admin

Norwegian maritime insurance company Gard on Thursday (9 July) published a case study of a member’s undeclared excess bunker fuel leading to the vessel being held at a Turkish port; it advices the shipping community against Turkey’s regulations regarding excess bunkers:

A Member’s ship was recently held in a Turkish port when customs officials identified a discrepancy between the declared and the actual figures of fuel oil remaining onboard. Upon arrival at the Turkish port, customs officials boarded the ship to search for illegal and prohibited goods and, since the bunkers onboard is also within the scope of such searches, took soundings of the fuel oil tanks to check the accuracy of the declared fuel oil figures. As the sounding figures indicated a possible excess (undeclared) fuel oil in the ship’s tanks, an independent bunker survey was arranged. Subsequent calculations revealed that the ship did carry an excess of approximately 85 tonnes against the declared quantity of fuel oil.

At the time of writing, the Turkish authorities have issued a “confiscation order” and demanded the ship discharge the excess fuel oil. In addition, the Master has been brought onshore to provide a statement. Turkish authorities, under its Anti-Smuggling Law No. 5607, can consider a discrepancy between the declared figures and the figures established by a bunker survey as an act of smuggling of petroleum products. This can lead to criminal proceedings being brought against the Master and other members of the crew.

Recommendations

While the case described above has not yet been settled, its course of events is reportedly not uncommon. According to our local correspondents in Turkey, the trend of unannounced customs inspections, including scrutiny of the fuel oil remaining onboard, has increased in the recent months. Masters of ships calling Turkish ports are therefore advised to be particularly vigilant and attentive when filling in the customs declaration. Specifically, the fuel oil remaining onboard must be carefully calculated and measured before being declared to Turkish customs. It is also important that all relevant crew members are made aware that undeclared bunkers is an issue in Turkish ports and that a discrepancy between the declared figures and the figures established by a bunker survey can bring about serious consequences for the crew.

For additional information and advice, please refer to the following information received from our Turkish correspondents:

Declaration of bunker figures on board vessels in Turkish ports by Vitsan Mümessillik ve Musavirlik A.S.
Turkey – enforcement for excess bunker quantities by Kalimbassieris Maritime Denizcilik A.S.

We are also grateful to our correspondent Vitsan Mümessillik ve Musavirlik A.S. for their assistance in preparing this alert.

Photo credit: Meriç Dağlı
Published: 13 July, 2020

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

14 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

14 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

14 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026