Singapore Arrests Crews from Three Tugs for Illegal Fuel Sales
The Singapore Police Force is reporting that it arrested the crews from three tugs working offshore on February 11 in what it suspects was an illegal effort at fuel sales. It comes as the Singapore bunker market continues to be at peak levels.
On February 11, at about 12:45 a.m. local time, officers from the Police Coast Guard located three tugs in the sea off Pandan, Singapore. According to the police report, two of the tugboats were foreign-registered, and the third one was a Singapore-registered tugboat.
The police took into custody a total of 18 men between the ages of 21 and 45. They were arrested for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction of Marine Gas Oil (MGO).
Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members allegedly misappropriated the MGO valued at about S$13,670 (US$10,826) without their company’s knowledge. The MGO was allegedly intended to be sold illegally for their personal financial gain.
The Police Coast Guard reports the 18 men were to be charged in court on February 12 with the offense of criminal breach of trust by employees. The offense carries an imprisonment term, which may extend to 15 years, and a fine.
The Police take a serious view of illegal transactions of MGO in Singapore waters. The authorities will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter, and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters.
The arrests come as the police continue efforts at strong enforcement, as the fuel market is booming. The strength of the shipping sector and the need for more fuel as vessels were traveling from Asia around South Africa to Europe is contributing to the strength of the bunker market.
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Singapore’s bunker sales market has been steadily increasing for more than a decade, and today it is the world's largest marine refueling hub, according to S&P. Last fall, in its S&P Global Commodities at Sea report, S&P reported Singapore's bunker fuel sales in October were reaching record highs.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s latest monthly report is for December 2025, where it reported total bunker sales of over 5.5 million tonnes, up 15 percent year-over-year. For all of 2025, it said bunker suppliers reported sales of 56.77 million tonnes, up more than three percent for the full year.
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