SINGAPORE – The nine Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) armoured vehicles detained by Hong Kong Customs' authorities have been moved,
the city's media reported on Friday (Nov 25), even as the Defence Ministry said an SAF team is on its way to
“address the security" of the vehicles and their associated equipment.
"Must get zika virus clearance first! Examine the testicles and blood samples of the saf team!"
Hong Kong's Oriental Daily reported that the SAF vehicles have been moved early on Friday morning
under police escort to Hong Kong Customs' cargo examination compound at the River Trade Terminal for "storage".
Footage obtained by Oriental Daily showed Hong Kong officials and port workers inspecting the seized Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles on Thursday afternoon.
The officials were seen removing the covers on the vehicles, peering inside some of them and taking photos.
Footage also showed the officials inspecting over a dozen green-coloured wooden cases that appeared to contain SAF military equipment.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/nine-saf-armoured-vehicles-held-hong-kong-shipped-apl
At a routine press briefing in Beijing on Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry's spokesman Geng Shuang said
China had "noticed" and was "verifying" news reports about the seizure of the Terrex vehicles.
He added: "All ships that enter Hong Kong should follow the laws of the Special Administrative Region.
We oppose countries that have diplomatic relations with us to have any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, including defence cooperation."
Mr Geng sidestepped questions on whether Singapore had contacted Beijing on the issue and what would happen to the armoured vehicles next.
He maintained that the Chinese government was still in the midst of "verifying the related details".
The seizure of the Terrex vehicles made the headlines on Thursday after Hong Kong media, including the South China Morning Post (SCMP), broke the news.
In its latest statement on Friday, Mindef said the vehicles
[FONT=&]were being shipped by commercial shipping line APL.
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During the cargo’s transit through the city, Hong Kong customs officials had detained the shipment after they queried
if the necessary permits and declarations by APL were in order, Mindef said.
Officials from APL have assured the SAF that they are working with Hong Kong authorities to resolve the matter.
An SAF team is also on its way to Hong Kong to “address the security of the equipment”,
while the Singapore Consulate General in Hong Kong is assisting in the matter.
Mindef added that APL is required to adhere to all regulations, including declaring the equipment it transported in the
ship’s cargo manifest and obtaining the permits needed to transit through ports.
The vehicles were returning to the Republic after routine SAF overseas training.
An APL spokesman said it is extending its full cooperation to the relevant Hong Kong authorities and working with the various stakeholders.
He added: "APL is committed to ensuring cargo security as well as full compliance with all regulatory and trade requirements in its conduct of business."
Hong Kong Customs authorities had held the shipment, which also comprised other unspecified “associated” equipment, at Hong Kong's Kwai Chung Container Terminal.
The shipment did not contain ammunition or sensitive equipment.
The ministry did not specify where the overseas training was, but various Hong Kong media reports said the shipment originated from Taiwan.
Mindef said that all commercial shipping lines used by the SAF are required to “comply with stringent requirements for protection
against theft and tampering of equipment during the shipment, in addition to applying for all relevant permits”.
“These requirements have worked well and there have been no incidents of losses, theft or tampering over the years,” it added.
“The SAF will review the circumstances of this incident and determine if added measures are required to prevent such occurrences,” it said.
The detention, the SCMP had reported, happened after 12 containers were unloaded from a vessel arriving from Taiwan.
Shipping experts who spoke to TODAY said it was not uncommon for Singapore-bound container ships from Taiwan to stop in Hong Kong.
It is “quite common” for container ships that follow a liner route to call at many ports as part of a loop, said Captain Mathiew Christophe Rajoo, a partner at shipping law firm DennisMathiew.
“If … this ship was en route from Taiwan, it’s quite natural for it to go to Hong Kong as the next port (before sailing to) Singapore,” he said.
A senior professional in the shipping industry, who declined to be named, said each shipping line has its own logistical arrangements,
and in some cases, ships stop at another port before continuing to its final destination.
In this case, he said there were questions over whether the Hong Kong authorities were informed in advance of the nature
of the shipment and how the shipping line had classified the vehicles in making its shipping arrangements.
He acknowledged, however, the “sensitive” nature of the Terrex.
“It’s a military vehicle – if you land on Hong Kong soil, I presume the authorities have the right to know what it’s about,” he added.
The Terrex, designed and made in Singapore, can accommodate more than 10 men and has seven variants, including the command, trooper and medical versions.
[FONT=&]The United Marine Corps is looking into purchasing a more advanced version of the Terrex, known as Terrex 2,which is built and designed by ST Kinetics.
It was announced in March that the local defence company is in a running [/FONT][FONT=&]for a US$121.5 million contract to supply 13 of these amphibious combat vehicle prototypes to the US.
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