Singaporean with bounty of US$5 million charged over illegal North Korea oil shipment

Kwek Kee Seng, his accomplice Low Eng Yeow Justin and three related firms were charged for their involvement in exporting gas oil to Pyongyang

Kwek and Low could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined or both

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The oil tanker M/T Courageous owned by Singaporean businessman Kwek Kee Seng. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:37am, 22 Dec 2023

Singaporean Kwek Kee Seng, who had a US$5 million bounty on his whereabouts, has been charged in the city state with illegally exporting gas oil to North Korea.

Kwek’s accomplice Low Eng Yeow Justin and three related companies were also charged in court for their involvement in the shipment of the prohibited export item to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which is North Korea’s official name, police in a news release on Thursday.

The offences went against the UN (Sanctions – DPRK) Regulations 2010, which makes it illegal for any Singaporean or person in Singapore to sell any luxury item to anyone in North Korea.

Kwek was in 2021 accused by the US Justice Department of facilitating fuel shipments to Pyongyang in violation of UN sanctions.

The US State Department on November 3, 2022, offered a reward of US$5 million for information about Kwek, who owns shipping company Swanseas Port Services in Singapore.

Investigations by Singapore police revealed that Kwek had allegedly conspired with five other individuals based overseas to supply gas oil to North Korea from September to November 2019 using the vessel MT Courageous.