Customs authorities in Hong Kong were baffled after acting on a tip and launched an investigation into a shipment of containers from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Inside, they found 12 armoured military vehicles and a medley of other military accessories — allegedly including explosives.
Oh, and they were all bound for Singapore too. Was someone planning to go all Bane and roll out the tanks across the Raffles CBD to take the city hostage?
Nah, nothing fun like that. It took a while, but the Ministry of Defence eventually confirmed that the shipment of Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICVs) and associated equipment was actually theirs.
“The Terrex ICVs were used by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in routine overseas training and shipped back via commercial means as with previous exercises,” Mindef clarified.
The usage of commercial shippers to transport military equipment is pretty standard for the SAF, who conduct overseas training in dozens of countries.
There was no ammunition on board — Mindef simply stated that the shipment of military equipment was delayed at Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung Container Terminal due to a request for routine inspections. They should be returning to Singapore “expeditiously”, Mindef said.
According to the South China Morning Post, however, it might not be that easy for Singapore to get back the equipment. The discovery of the advanced military hardware could mean that the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department will have to report it to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China could use the seized SAF vehicles as leverage in the South China Sea issue — where Beijing doesn’t approve of Singapore backing Manila on the territorial claims in the South China Sea.
“If Beijing gives the green light to let [the shipment go through], ties between China and Singapore will improve,” said Lingnan University political science professor Zhang Baohui, as quoted by SCMP. “If it doesn’t, it will become a complicated political issue.”
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