Business

Shell MGO bunker heist: Ex-Shell employee receives over 16-year jail sentence

Tian purchased cars from his criminal benefits including a Honda Odyssey, Audi R8, Mercedes Benz C180 and BMW 316; he also purchased a property in Bangkok, Thailand.

Published

4 years ago

January 18, 2023

Admin

Former employee of Shell Eastern Petroleum Tiah Kok Hwee was sentenced to 16 years and four months’ jail at the State Courts of Singapore on Tuesday (17 January) over his involvement in the Shell MGO bunker heist.

Tiah, 46, pleaded guilty earlier to 20 counts of criminal breach of trust involving nearly USD 68 million (about SGD 94 million).

According to court documents seen by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times, financial investigations revealed that the accused obtained criminal benefits of at least SGD 1.4 million through his offences. Tiah spent his criminal benefits on luxury watches, foreign property, investments, gambling and cars.

Some of the cars he purchased included a Honda Odyssey, Audi R8, Mercedes Benz C180 and BMW 316. He also used the money to purchase a property called “The Lone” in Bangkok, Thailand.

Tiah also admitted to four counts of dealing with the benefits of criminal conduct involving more than SGD 4.2 million. A total of 28 other charges were considered during sentencing.

Tiah first joined Shell sometime in 2005 as a Process Technician. From end of 2016, Tiah was an Shore Loading Officer-in-training. At the time of arrest, Tiah’s monthly basic salary was about SGD 4,500, and his annual salary was about SGD 80,000 including bonus, allowances and overtime pay.

According to the documents, he was regarded as a “key member of the conspiracy whose experience and expertise enabled the success of the operation.”

Juandi bin Pungot, former Shore Loading Officer of the Shell Pulau Bukom manufacturing site, was one of the masterminds of a long-term and large-scale conspiracy to misappropriate gasoil from the Shell Pulau Bukom manufacturing site as early as 2007.

Juandi received a 29-year jail sentence at the State Courts of the Republic of Singapore on 31 March 2022.

Juandi faced a total of 85 charges for criminal breach of trust (40 charges), money-laundering (32 charges), and corruptly giving gratifications to various surveyors (13 charges).

The Shell MGO bunker heist also involves others including Muzaffar Ali Khan Muhamad Akram and Abdul Latif Ibrahim whose cases are currently pending.

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

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 18 January, 2023

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

9 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

9 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

9 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