Legal

Shell Singapore oil heist: Third offender pleads guilty for gas oil theft

A former tanker captain pleads guilty to six counts of abetting to dishonestly receiving stolen property.

Published

7 years ago

January 6, 2020

Admin

Former tanker captain of Prime Splendour, Nguyen Duc Quang, on Friday (3 January) pleaded guilty to six counts of abetting to dishonestly receiving stolen property involving more than USD 4.5 million (SGD 6 million), according to The Straits Times.

In the largest gas oil theft prosecution in Singapore’s court, the 48-year-old Vietnamese received misappropriated gas oil worth more than USD 7.3 million (SGD 9.8 million).

The offences were committed between March 2016 and up until his arrest on 7 January 2018.

Quang started working for Vietnam-based Prime Shipping Corporation in 2009, where he later became Captain of several vessels including Prime Senator, Prime South and at the time of the crime, Captain of Prime Splendour in March 2016, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephanie Chew.

While onboard Prime Splendour which was stationed at Pulau Bukom, Quang received a call from a man identified as Nguyen Quoc Tuan, who had asked him to receive some misappropriated gas oil.

Quang then followed up with a call to former chairman of Prime Shipping Corporation, Tran Quang Tuan, who had instructed him to follow Nguyen Quoc Tuan’s instructions.

Under instruction, Quang paid a Shell employee USD 30,000 after receiving misappropriated gas oil on Prime Splendour; he later received USD 5,000 from another individual in Vietnam.

Following this, the stolen gas oil was sold off, where proceeds were split between Tran Quang Tuan, Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Nguyen Duc Quang and a fourth man – Nguyen Manh Cuong, former director of Petrolimex Singapore.

Quang said he had earned about USD 120,000 from various dealings involving misappropriated gas oil from Pulau Bukom between March 2016 and January 2018.

The trio, Tran Quang Tuan, Quoc Tuan and Nguyen Manh Cuong are still at large.

Quang will be sentenced on 14 January, in which six other similar charges linked to the remaining amount will be considered during sentencing.

In August 2017, a Shell representative filed a report saying the firm had lost about SGD 2.98 million worth of fuel in April that year.

To date, Quang is the third person to be sentenced at the Singapore court in relation to the Shell Pulau Bukom gas oil heist case. The first was the former Chief Officer of Prime South and the second is the former captain of Prime South.

Earlier coverage of the Shell Pulau Bukom oil heist case can be found below:

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 6 January, 2020

Legal

Shell Singapore charged over Pulau Bukom oil leaks, reporting delays

Shell faces four charges under Singapore’s Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act over two 2024 oil discharge incidents at its Pulau Bukom facility.

Published

21 hours ago

September 25, 2026

Admin

2 MPA craft (left) supporting Shell craft in the clean up operations of the oil sheens taken on 28 Dec 9am

Shell Singapore has been charged over two incidents in 2024 involving oily mixtures discharged into Singapore waters from its facilities at Pulau Bukom, according to media reports on Tuesday (22 September).

The company faces four charges under the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea Act, including allegations that it failed to report the discharges to the port master immediately.

The first incident occurred on 20 October 2024, when approximately 40 metric tonnes (mt) of oily mixture was discharged through a hole in a pipeline at the Shell Singapore Energy and Chemicals Park at about 8am.

Shell is accused of reporting the incident to the port master at about 12.55pm, several hours after the discharge occurred.

The second incident took place between 26 and 28 December 2024. An estimated 485kg to 956kg of oil mixture was discharged into Singapore waters from the same facility.

Shell is accused of failing to report the incident immediately, with notification to the port master made at about 11.50am on 26 December 2024, according to the charges.

Singapore’s pollution-prevention regulations require occupiers of such facilities to report oil or oily-mixture discharges into Singapore waters “without delay and to the fullest extent possible”.

Shell’s representative requested an eight-week adjournment at the 22 September hearing, citing the need to obtain internal instructions, appoint counsel and locate historical records. The company said the business associated with the incidents had been divested in 2025.

The case was adjourned to October. Shell is also facing prosecution by Singapore’s National Environment Agency over the same incidents.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 25 September, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator of Xin Bo Shipping Pte Ltd issues notice of dividend

First interim dividend of Xin Bo Shipping is payable by 7 October, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

2 days ago

September 24, 2026

Admin

A notice of dividend for Xin Bo Shipping Pte Ltd, which is currently in creditors’ voluntary liquidation, was published on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (23 September).

The following are the details of the notice:

Name of Company : Xin Bo Shipping (Pte) Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 199003660R
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Amount per centum (US$) : 30.00 cents to a dollar of admitted unsecured claims
First and Final or otherwise : First Interim Dividend
When payable : By 7 October 2026
Where payable : Entitlements will be made either by way of telegraphic transfer or by cheque, to be collected from the Company’s registered address as above.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 24 September, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Creditors’ meeting for Fair Wind Chartering Pte Ltd scheduled for 6 October

A creditors’ meeting of Fair Wind Chartering Pte Ltd has been scheduled to take place at 3pm on 6 October, according to a Government Gazette notice.

Published

2 days ago

September 24, 2026

Admin

A creditors’ meeting of Fair Wind Chartering Pte Ltd has been scheduled to take place on 6 October, according to a Tuesday (22 September) notice on the Government Gazette.

The meeting will be held via video conferencing at 3pm for the following agenda:

To receive a Statement of Affairs of the Company, showing the assets and liabilities, together with a list of creditors and the estimated amount of their claims.
To confirm the appointment of Chee Fung Mei, Licensed Insolvency Practitioner, of CHEE FM & ASSOCIATES 110 Middle Road #05-03 Singapore 188968 as Liquidator of the Company for the purpose of such voluntary winding up, and that the Liquidator’s fees be based on her normal scale rates and disbursements incurred be paid out of the Company’s assets.
To consider and if deemed fit appoint a Committee of Inspection.
To consider any other matters which may properly be brought before the meeting.

According to the Singapore Business Directory website, the company’s principal activity is shipping and chattering of ships or boats.

Note: To entitle you to vote thereat, your Proof of Debt must be lodged with the Provisional Liquidator not later than 10:00am on the 5th October 2026. Please submit your Proof of Debt and register your attendance by email to [email protected] to receive further details on the video conference.

Photo credit: Benjamin Child
Published: 24 September, 2026