FBI Issues S$7M Bounty For Wanted S'porean Man, He Allegedly Supplied Oil To North Korea

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FBI Issues S$7 Million Bounty For Wanted Singaporean Man On 3 Nov

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a bounty of up to S$7 million for information on a Singaporean man suspected of violating sanctions against North Korea.

In particular, the man allegedly attempted to supply oil shipments to North Korea through one of his oil tankers.

Source: Rewards for Justice

The bounty came about 1.5 years after the United States (US) first issued an arrest warrant for the 62-year-old.

Man wanted by FBI is director of Singapore shipping company

According to a Wanted Notice by the FBI, Kwek Kee Seng is the director and shareholder of Swanseas Port Services, a shipping company based in Singapore.

Source: Rewards for Justice

From as early as 2019, the 62-year-old allegedly “facilitated and directed” several petroleum oil shipments to North Korea. The FBI also suspects him of enabling ship-to-ship transfer of petroleum oil to North Korean vessels.

The bureau described such actions as an “extensive scheme to evade US and UN sanctions”, and are in violation of US Law.

In 2021, the FBI issued an arrest warrant for Kwek after one of his tankers – the M/T Courageous – was seized in Mar 2020 in Cambodia.

The ship had apparently falsely identified itself as another ship called the Sea Cheetah, wrote The Straits Times (ST).

Apart from supplying oil products to North Korea, Kwek is also accused of using front companies and false documentation to cover up his tracks.

Up to S$7 million reward for information on wanted Singpaorean man

On Thursday (3 Nov), the US Department of State issued a press release announcing a reward of up to S$7 million (US$5 million) for information on Kwek.

The US Rewards for Justice website also states several locales where Kwek may have been: