Police in the south-central Vietnamese province of Quang Ngai have caught red-handed an illegal gasoline trade in the country’s territorial waters and identified a Taiwanese firm as being behind the operation.

On Sunday afternoon, anti-smuggling officers under the Ministry of Public Security, in coordination with Quang Ngai coast guard and border guard units, caught the South Korean oil tanker M/T Pioneer Spirit transferring 350,000 liters of A95 fuel to the Quang Ngai-registered QNg-0350 ship.

Both captains of the ships were unable to present any document regarding their trade and did not declare the product to Vietnamese customs as required by the law.

According to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Kim Chong Hun, the South Korean captain of the M/T Pioneer Spirit, claimed he had signed a fuel transportation contract with Taiwan-based You Young Ship Management & Consultant Co.

Under the contract, the oil tanker is responsible for transporting gasoline from international waters into Vietnamese waters, where the product would be handed to You Young’s customers, according to the captain.

The location and time of each transfer, as well as the number of the Vietnamese ship that would receive the fuel from the tanker in Vietnamese waters, were informed to Kim via telephone.

The South Korean and Vietnamese ships are caught transferring fuel on April 14, 2019. Photo: N.C. /Tuoi Tre

On March 16, the M/T Pioneer Spirit received 8.5 million liters of fuel from a ship named Heng Yang in international waters, Kim recounted.

The South Korean vessel had entered Vietnam’s ocean twice on March 18 and 31 and successfully delivered the shipment, before docking at China’s Hainan Island.

On April 14, Kim headed the oil tanker to the Southeast Asian country again, this time in waters off Quang Ngai, to transfer gasoline to three Vietnamese boats, following the direction of You Young Co.

Competent authorities examine the M/T Pioneer Spirit. Photo: N.C. /Tuoi Tre

The first out of three deliveries was being carried out when officers arrived.

Aside from Kim, Nathanael Kantale, who works as an interpreter for You Young, was also on the M/T Pioneer Spirit during Sunday’s inspection.

Meanwhile, Tran Thanh Vinh, captain of the QNg-0350, said he had been hired by Vo Van Cung, deputy director of Ly Son 2, a local company, to receive the fuel from the South Korean tanker.

Vinh said he was just following Cung’s directions.

Kim Chong Hun, captain of the M/T Pioneer Spirit, works with Vietnamese officers. Photo: N.C. /Tuoi Tre

“I was told to receive the gasoline and transport it to Sa Ky Port in Quang Ngai, before loading it onto tanker trucks for distribution,” he continued.

Vinh added he had also been contacting with a customs officer prior to the incident.

Major General Luong Tam Quang, head of the office of the Ministry of Public Security, confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the agency is expanding their investigation into the case.

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