Viet in fuel theft case faces two new charges

Nguyen Duc Quang is accused of dishonestly receiving stolen oil on two other occasions

Two fresh charges of abetting to dishonestly receive stolen gas oil were filed against a Vietnamese national yesterday.

Nguyen Duc Quang, 46 - together with Dang Van Hanh, 37 - was charged last week with abetment by conspiracy to dishonestly receive stolen 1,260 tonnes of gas oil worth $687,960 at Pulau Bukom's wharf 5 on Jan 7 this year.

The charge further states that the oil was transferred from Pulau Bukom to a vessel, Prime South.

Quang now faces two more charges of dishonestly receiving stolen oil. He allegedly received 1,276 tonnes of stolen gas oil valued at US$653,733 (S$865,000) at Pulau Bukom's wharf 3 on Oct 23 last year. Earlier, on Oct 2, he is alleged to have received 1,131 tonnes of stolen gas oil worth US$579,445.

On both occasions, the oil was said to have been transferred from Pulau Bukom to Prime South.

The duo have been remanded for another week at Central Police Division, pending further investigations. They will appear in court next Monday afternoon, when the case of the nine Singaporeans charged in connection with oil theft from Shell will be mentioned.

Meanwhile, the case of another Vietnamese national, Doan Xuan Than, 46, charged with dishonestly receiving 1,348 tonnes of gas oil worth $736,445 on New Year's Eve, will be mentioned tomorrow.

The stolen oil, according to the charge, was transferred from Pulau Bukom to the vessel MT Gaea.

Also appearing in court tomorrow will be Alan Tan Cheng Chuan, 45, and Ng Hock Teck, 54. Both are accused of abetting in a conspiracy to dishonestly receive 300 tonnes of oil worth $160,000 transferred from Pulau Bukom to a vessel called Sentek 26 on Nov 11 last year.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 17, 2018, with the headline Viet in fuel theft case faces two new charges. Subscribe