Hong Kong To Release Detained Military Vehicles To Singapore

The nine Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles detained by Hong Kong authorities for two months over licensing issues will be returning to Singapore.

Hong Kong authorities have completed their investigations and will be releasing the military vehicles and other equipment through APL, the commercial shipping firm that was supposed to transport the vehicles back to Singapore in November, (Jan 24), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung replied to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's earlier letter to inform him of the latest developments, MFA added that on Tuesday.

"This is a positive outcome. Prime Minister Lee has replied to Chief Executive Leung to thank him for Hong Kong’s cooperation in resolving this matter," MFA was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia today.

In a statement later on Tuesday, Hong Kong Customs said that a suspected licensing breach led to the detention of the vehicles, and that its investigations "might lead to criminal prosecution".

The nine military vehicles were being shipped from Taiwan back to Singapore via APL after a military training exercise when Hong Kong customs impounded the shipment.

We are "working with the relevant authorities and various stakeholders to ship the vehicles and associated equipment that were detained in Hong Kong in November 2016, back to Singapore" APL said.