ASEAN Cooperation to Tackle Labour Trafficking and Scam Centres in the Region and Number of Singaporeans Exploited
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Christopher de Souza’s inquiry regarding Singapore’s cooperation with ASEAN to combat labour trafficking and scam centres and the number of Singaporeans exploited since 2023. Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam stated there are no verified incidents of Singaporean victims, although five individuals declined consular assistance after potentially being exploited in overseas centres. He highlighted that Singapore strengthens enforcement through bilateral and multilateral intelligence exchanges and joint investigations, which led to the dismantling of 16 scam syndicates in 2024. Furthermore, Singapore actively participates in regional platforms like the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime to address evolving threats. These collaborative efforts aim to counter transnational syndicates that lure and hold captives to work in scam centres while protecting vulnerable groups.
Transcript
11 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how is Singapore cooperating with ASEAN partners to combat the growing threat of labour trafficking and scam centres in Southeast Asia; and (b) whether there are plans to strengthen enforcement capabilities to better protect vulnerable groups of persons from exploitation.
12 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Home Affairs since 2023, how many Singaporeans have been exploited by or caught up in labour trafficking scams in the region.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Government has been closely monitoring the rise of scam centres in the region, to where scam victims are lured, trafficked and held captive by scam syndicates to "work". To date, there are no verified incidents of Singaporeans being victims of such human trafficking. To be clear, since 2023, the Government has offered consular assistance to five Singaporeans upon receiving information that they might have been exploited in overseas scam centres. However, none accepted the offer of assistance.
To combat this transnational threat, Singapore has stepped up in recent years, bilateral and multilateral collaboration with foreign law enforcement agencies through intelligence exchanges, joint investigations and coordinated enforcement. For instance, in 2024, the Singapore Police Force collaborated with various foreign law enforcement agencies to successfully take down 16 scam syndicates.
Singapore also participates in various regional platforms to discuss cooperation in combatting transnational crimes, including scams and trafficking in persons. These platforms include the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime and its Working Group on Trafficking in Persons, as well as the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime.