Real-Time Information Sharing Protocols with Foreign Authorities on Child Trafficking Syndicates Linked to Singapore Adoptions
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Ms He Ting Ru’s inquiry into real-time information sharing protocols with foreign authorities regarding child trafficking syndicates linked to adoptions and whether upstream pre-clearance checks will be enhanced. Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs Mr K Shanmugam responded that the Singapore Police Force maintains close ties with foreign counterparts and exchanges information through bilateral channels and multilateral organisations. He noted that the police are assisting the Indonesian National Police with a September 2025 request concerning alleged baby trafficking into Singapore for adoption. The Minister added that no other requests for joint operations regarding child trafficking linked to adoptions have been received in the last five years. Finally, he referred questions on reviewing adoption processes to a previous response from the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
Transcript
4 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the protocols for real-time information sharing with foreign authorities on suspected child trafficking syndicates linked to Singapore adoptions; (b) how many joint operations or information requests on child trafficking occurred in the last five years; and (c) whether upstream efforts such as pre-clearance checks and source-country probes will be enhanced.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) maintains close ties with foreign counterparts and exchanges information on transnational crime investigation matters, both bilaterally and via multilateral organisations, such as the Interpol.
Following a request from the Indonesian National Police (INP) in September 2025 on the allegations of babies being trafficked from Indonesia into Singapore for adoption, SPF has been rendering assistance to the INP for their investigations.
Apart from this request from INP, SPF has not been requested to participate in any joint operation nor received any information request from any other foreign counterpart relating to child trafficking syndicates linked to adoptions in Singapore in the last five years.
On whether adoption processes will be reviewed, the Member of Parliament may wish to refer to a Parliamentary Question reply on this matter by the Ministry of Social and Family Development for the Parliament Sitting on 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Due Diligence Measures before Processing Adoption of Children", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Written Answers to Questions section.]