Shell Fuel Theft: Second Mastermind Sentenced to Over 25 Years in Jail for $100m Heist

Abdul Latif Ibrahim, 67, was sentenced to 25 years and two months in jail for leading a group that siphoned $100 million worth of fuel from Shell's Pulau Bukom facility between 2014 and 2018. The stolen fuel was sold to local and foreign vessels. Latif received at least $7 million in illicit gains, which he spent on luxury items. The authorities seized nearly $7.7 million in assets from him, including $4.7 million in cash.

Latif pleaded guilty to 20 charges of criminal breach of trust and 10 charges of money laundering. Juandi Pungot, the other mastermind, was sentenced to 29 years in jail in 2022 for his role in the fuel heist. Both men started misappropriating fuel in 2007 and expanded the criminal enterprise by recruiting others. The stolen oil was loaded onto a bunker ship through deals brokered with a middleman.

Latif continued his illegal operations separately from Juandi until their arrests in 2018. The rogue employees used various methods to evade detection, including bypassing meters and tampering with them. Shell reported significant oil loss in 2015, leading to investigations and police reports in 2017. Juandi's syndicate siphoned 203,403 tonnes of gas oil, while Latif's group misappropriated 153,996 tonnes.

Latif spent his gains on properties, cars, businesses, and education. His lawyer argued for a shorter sentence, and Latif will forfeit his seized properties to the state. Goh's and Ibrahim's cases are pending, while other employees involved have received jail terms.

According to the source: The Straits Times.