Legal

Esenyel Partners: Importance of bunker declaration to customs at Turkish ports

If the amount of bunkers is under declared or overrepresented, the Customs Directorate will initiate a judicial investigation and implement criminal sanctions, it said.

Published

6 years ago

October 22, 2020

Admin

Capt. Deha Aydin, Marine Claims Executive at Turkish law firm Esenyel Partners, Lawyers & Consultants on 15 October published an article highlighting the importance of accurate bunker declarations at Turkish ports by detailing legal actions taken by the Customs Directorate if any vessels are found to have misdeclared its bunker quantity:

Ships calling at Turkish Ports are sent to the Customs Directorate in accordance with the customs regulations where they must declare items such as existing fuel (fuel-oil and diesel-oil), oils, cigarettes, and drinks.

Based on our recent experience, where the above items are missing and / or overrepresented, the Customs Directorate will initiate a judicial investigation in accordance with the relevant regulations, and implement criminal sanctions.

The amount of bunker fuel is determined according to Customs regulation ARTICLE 481 – (1) when ships enter the cabotage. As the amount of fuel they receive from other ports is shown in the ships’ logbooks and the fuel logbook, the difference between the amount bunkered according to the logbook and the amount consumed according to the logbook and fuel logbook will be noted. The difference in bunker fuel is thus determined, and the amount to be subject to tax is calculated. According to paragraph 2 of Article 9 in the customs regulation regarding smuggled goods at customs halls and customs gates, customs clearance of persons suspected of hiding their belongings, cargo and vehicles can be searched by officials.

Smuggled goods detected as a result of the search will be seized immediately. Notably if the under-declaration of bunker fuel is detected as a result of the search, the excess fuel calculated will be debunkered and destroyed by authorities. In addition, a judicial investigation will be initiated against the Ship Captain and Chief Engineer for fuel smuggling. According to the Anti-Smuggling Code, numbered 5607, Article 3, Sub-article 1: The person who smuggles goods into the country without customs clearance will be faced with imprisonment from one to five years and a judicial fine of up to ten thousand days. In the case where goods are smuggled into the country somewhere rather than Customs Gate, the penalty is increased by one third to half.

The vessel will not be allowed to take off during the debunkering process of unreported fuel even though the process will delay the schedule of the ship. The process may take up to three days to complete. In practice, it is known that a delay will be incurred due to the arrangement for shore tanks and barges to be available. In addition, it is better to remind that undeclared bunker cannot be left in the vessel as security. The Correct measurement of the bunker and the correct declaration of bunker to Customs Directorate will prevent ship-owners, ship managers from experiencing any commercial losses due to delay.

Photo credit: Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Published: 22 October, 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

22 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

22 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

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

Third interim dividend to admitted unsecured claims of Nan Shan Maritime is payable from 15 July, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

6 days ago

July 16, 2026

Admin

A notice of dividend for Nan Shan Maritime Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (15 July).

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Nan Shan Maritime (Pte.) Ltd.(In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 201701967H
Address of Registered Office : 10 Anson Road, #10-10, International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Amount per centum : 5.00 Per Centum of all admitted unsecured, claims
First and Final or Otherwise : Third Interim
When Payable : 15 July 2026
Where Payable : Entitlements will be made by way of cheque.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 16 July, 2026