9 men arrested for stealing scrap metal from moving barge off Kusu Island

SINGAPORE — Nine men aged between 30 and 42 were arrested for their suspected involvement in stealing scrap metal from a moving barge at sea, said police on Wednesday (April 20).

On Tuesday, the Police Coast Guard (PCG) detected a suspicious sampan alongside a moving barge at about 10.30pm. The barge was being towed by a foreign-registered tugboat off Kusu Island.

"PCG patrol resources immediately responded and intercepted the suspicious sampan," said the police.

Six men were found on board the barge, with another two found hiding on board. The eight of them purportedly did not have any valid travel documents with them.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a crew member from the foreign-registered tugboat had allegedly conspired with them to trespass on board the barge to steal the scrap metals.

He was arrested together with the eight men, who were believed to have entered Singapore unlawfully.

The sampan, some scrap metal and a knife were seized as case exhibits.

The nine men will be charged on Thursday for theft in dwelling. If found guilty, they can be jailed for up to seven years and fined.

If found guilty of unlawfully entering Singapore, an individual can be punished with up to six months' imprisonment and a minimum of three strokes of the cane.

"The PCG will continue to take firm action against offenders to safeguard our territorial waters and sea borders against crime and security threats," said police. CNA