Shipping company and captain set to be charged in HK over shipment of Terrexes

We weren't involved in the licensing breach that led to our Terrex chias being detained. Heng ah.

Chan Cheow Pong | March 22, 2017, 07:59 PM

In the aftermath of the detention of our nine Terrex armoured personnel carriers in Hong Kong, we all now know of shipping company APL, the one who was supposed to see them back safely from Taiwan.

According to a report by The South China Morning Post, they're going to be charged formally with a licensing breach on Thursday, Mar. 23, in Hong Kong.

Citing a government source with knowledge of the case, the report said APL will be issued with a summons, while the captain of the container ship carrying the Terrexes will be charged with importing strategic commodities without a required licence.

The move to do this comes after the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department sought legal advice from the Department of Justice.

The nine Terrexes, orginally bound for Singapore from the Taiwanese port of Kaohsiung, were seized by Hong Kong customs officers on November 23 last year.

They were only released on Jan. 27, whereupon they arrived on Singapore shores on Jan. 30.

According to the report, the detention of our nine Terrexes was Hong Kong’s biggest seizure of “strategic commodities” in two decades. It was also widely seen as a move by China to signal its disapproval of Singapore's military relations with Taiwan.

Days before the vehicles were released and shipped back to Singapore, Hong Kong’s customs chief Roy Tang Yun-kwong had stated that the department did not detect any role by Singapore's government in the possible breach of Hong Kong's licensing requirement during its investigation.

Related articles:

Terrex – home sweet home

Terrexes depart Hong Kong for home, could be back as soon as Feb 3

Ng Eng Hen: Terrexes will take a week to ship back, hopefully in time for ‘Chap Goh Mei’

Terrexes coming back: Ng Eng Hen

9 APCs allegedly being shipped from Kaoshiung to S’pore, held at Hong Kong: HK media

Top photo from MINDEF

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