Legal

Shell MGO bunker heist: Bunker clerk sentenced to 7.5 year in jail

Wong Kuin Wah, 61, reportedly helped the Singapore-based company he worked to acquire misappropriated gas oil and committed the offences over 45 occasions between August 2014 and January 2018.

Published

4 months ago

November 20, 2024

Admin

A bunker clerk, previously employed by Sentek Marine & Trading Pte Ltd (Sentek), was sentenced to seven years and six months’ jail on 18 November for his role in misappropriating more than 27,000 tonnes of gas oil worth around USD 12.8 million (SGD 17.2 million), The Straits Times reported.

Wong Kuin Wah, 61, reportedly helped the company acquire the gas oil and committed the offences over 45 occasions between August 2014 and January 2018.

The firm was involved in buying and selling fuels, including gas oil, at the time of the offences, with Wong assigned to a bunkering vessel called Sentek 26.

The Singaporean pleaded guilty to 12 counts of facilitating the receipt of the misappropriated fuel.

Wong also had 12 graft charges withdrawn and the court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for them.

Manifold Times previously reported three bunker clerks, previously employed by Sentek, being charged in Court for offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA).

They were Singaporeans Wong Kuin Wah, Wong Wai Meng, and Boo Pu Wen.

It was alleged that Wai Meng, Kuin Wah and Pu Wen intentionally aided Sentek in acquiring property which was another person’s benefits from criminal conduct, by assisting to receive on board their respective vessels, gasoil which had been dishonestly misappropriated from Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd’s facility (Shell Pulau Bukom). They were charged for offences under Section 47(3) of the CDSA, read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, and punishable under Section 47(6)(a) of the CDSA.

Former Shell employees, who were key members of a group who dishonestly misappropriated fuel from Shell Pulau Bukom, were sentenced to jail in court earlier.

Earlier coverage of developments by Manifold Times regarding the Shell MGO bunker heist can be found below:

Photo credit: Katrin Bolovtsova
Published: 20 November, 2024

Vessel Arrest

Singapore: Marshall Islands-flagged bulker “Alpha” placed under Sheriff’s arrest

Vessel was arrested at 1.11am on 21 March and is currently held at Eastern Special Purposes A Anchorage, A/5617C; arresting solicitor listed was law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP.

Published

3 days ago

March 25, 2025

Admin

A Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, Alpha, was arrested in Singapore waters on Friday (21 March).

The vessel was added to the list of vessels under Sheriff’s arrest in Singapore’s court system.

According to the list, the vessel was arrested at 1.11am and the arresting solicitor listed was law firm Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. The ship is currently held at Eastern Special Purposes A Anchorage, A/5617C.

No details were provided in the list regarding the reason behind the arrest.

Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Andy Ru
Published: 25 March, 2024

Sanctions

US OFAC sanctions first Chinese teapot refinery and oil tankers over Iranian links

Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical and its chief executive officer were added to OFAC’s sanctions list for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil.

Published

4 days ago

March 24, 2025

Admin

The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday (20 March) sanctioned a “teapot” oil refinery and its chief executive officer for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian crude oil, including from vessels linked to Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, and the Iranian Ministry of Defense of Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).

Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd (Luqing Petrochemical), a teapot refinery in Shandong Province, has purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil worth approximately half a billion dollars.

Luqing Petrochemical received Iranian oil transported by shadow fleet vessels, some of which have been sanctioned for their role transporting Iranian petroleum linked to the Houthis and MODAFL, including the MEHLE (IMO: 9191711) and the KOHANA (IMO: 9254082). In mid-2022, Luqing Petrochemical was identified as a buyer of Iranian oil associated with the Iranian military and Iranian military forces.

Luqing Petrochemical is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. PRC national Wang Xueqing serves as the chief executive officer and legal representative of Luqing Petrochemical, and is being concurrently designated pursuant to E.O. 13902 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Luqing Petrochemical.

“Teapot refinery purchases of Iranian oil provide the primary economic lifeline for the Iranian regime, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

“The United States is committed to cutting off the revenue streams that enable Tehran’s continued financing of terrorism and development of its nuclear program.”

OFAC additionally imposed sanctions on 19 entities and vessels responsible for shipping millions of barrels of Iranian oil, comprising part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” of tankers supplying teapot refineries like Luqing Petrochemical.

Iranian crude oil is transported to teapot refineries via a “shadow fleet” of vessels that usually engage in deceptive shipping practices, including automatic identification system (AIS) manipulation.

OFAC sanctioned eight vessels that constitute part of this fleet, including the Comoros-flagged NATALINA 7 (IMO: 9310147), Panama-flagged CATALINA 7 (IMO: 9310159), AURORA RILEY (IMO: 9181649), and VIOLA (IMO: 9254915), San Marino-flagged MONTROSE (IMO: 9281695), Barbados-flagged VOLANS (IMO: 9422988) and BRAVA LAKE (IMO: 9232876), and the currently unflagged TITAN (IMO: 9293741).

Photo credit: tommao wang on Unsplash
Published: 24 March, 2025

Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains Singapore-flagged bulker for illegal anchoring in Perak

“Queen Harmony”, operated by an Egyptian captain along with one Russian, two Ukrainians and 17 Filipino crew members, was detained about 13 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Jarak.

Published

1 week ago

March 20, 2025

Admin

Malaysia: MMEA detains Singapore-flagged bulker for illegal anchoring in Perak

Perak Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Tuesday (18 March) detained a Singapore-flagged bulk carrier for anchoring without permission about 13 nautical miles northwest of Pulau Jarak at 3.30pm on 17 March.

Perak MMEA director Maritime Capt Mohamad Shukri Khotob said the vessel, Queen Harmony, was operated by an Egyptian captain along with one Russian, two Ukrainians and 17 Filipino crew members.

Further investigation found that the ship failed to present any documents for permission to anchor and did not report their arrival in Malaysian waters.

The case is being investigated under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952, which carries a fine of not more than MYR 100,000 or a jail term of not more than two years, or both, for anchoring without permission. It is also being investigated for the offence of failing to report its arrival, which carries a fine of up to MYR 5,000.

Two crew members of the ship were taken to the Perak State Maritime Headquarters for further investigation.

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 20 March, 2025