Organised crime in Singapore

Organised criminal gangs existed in Singapore long before the arrival of the British. Formed in 1820, Heaven and Earth Society (Tiandihui) based in Fujian, an offshoot of the Ghee Hin Kongsi was the first secret group formed in Singapore.[1]

Organised crime was on a steady rise in the following years as a result of immigration triggered by the arrival of the British since 1946.[2] The mass immigration played a crucial role in the economic development during the colonial era by availing large population for labours. However, the rapid growth in the ethnic Chinese population came with cost as secret societies were formed. Immigrants formed their own “community” based on the notion of brotherhood generally known as Hui, which loosely translates into a vast family or company. When joining Hui, one had to cut their fingers with a knife, and the blood that dripped down would be added into rice wine, then it would be drunk as a sign of brotherhood.[1]

The formation of this secret society (Hui) played an important role to the immigrants from China during the early 19th century. This group was particularly helpful to these Chinese immigrants during their encounters with colonial government officials who were ignorant of the Chinese language and culture. They would take advantage of these situations to lure the Chinese into joining "Hui". They offered a source of livelihood to the immigrants, offered protection and most imperatively presided over activities that united them and gave them a sense of belonging and spiritual fulfilment.[1] The Hui were involved in a sourcing of unskilled native labourers as well as other profit making ventures such as pepper and gambier farming.[3]

At the beginning of the 19th century Hui adopted a clarion call of mutual assistance, bonding and brotherhood[3] and the colonial government's attitude towards the secret society is ambiguous due to political independence and the inability of the colony's administration. However, by mid 19th century their activities had deteriorated sharply creating impressions of disorder and violence.

Organised crime groups were posing huge problems to the routine and security of people, which forced the British authorities to curb the growing problem. These secret societies intensified their criminal activities from 1850s steadily evolving into organized crimes. They started with simple acts of crime extortion, trafficking and opium dealings before expanding to bigger criminal ventures like running illegal gambling dens and brothels. Organised crime groups started to scuffle with other gangs in order to take over their “turf” and threatened other citizens to pay protection money in return for their so-called ‘protection’. The most ferocious organized crime group was Ghee Hin Kongsi; estimated to have 800 members, this group was largely made of the Cantonese.[1] Other secret societies involved in crime include the Hai San, a gang that rivalled the Ghee Hin group in competition for land houses and business opportunities. Major legislative development in the colonial government led to the suppression of secret societies as law enforcement authorities thwarted the activities of organized crime.

Organised cyber-crime in Singapore has been a threat to both private and public sector including government's security agencies. The cyber-attack on the Ministry of Defence in February 2017 was an example of case where a government agency became a target for cyber criminals.[7] Personal details of military personnel were leaked during the attack carried out by hackers. The attack was thwarted before the hackers could access classified military information. Private businesses have also registered losses as a result of cyber-attacks such as the Wannacry Ransomware in 2017 which compelled victims to send a ransom of particular amount to the criminals [8]

Secret societies have been using online markets to sell illicit items such as drugs and weapons. This sale is always conducted on the dark web, a collection of encrypted websites that cannot be tracked easily by authorities. According to Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association, youths have turned to online markets for drugs such as marijuana. The transactions are carried online through escrow which allows for the payment of contraband.[9] Organised criminal societies have been involved in illicit money lending services on online platforms. These loans are always offered on high rates taking advantage of the victims’ desperation. Since obtaining banks loans is time-consuming and demanding, criminals have resorted to offering loans on the dark web[10]

The parliament of Singapore is credited for enacting legislation addressing organised crime in the country. The Organised Crime Act 2015 is one of the recent statutes that was designed to help reduce criminal activities by organised gangs. It took full effect in June 2016 having been passed by the parliament in 2015. The law grants power to law enforcement authorities to detect and prevent criminal activities with minimal interference. Under this law, the public prosecutor is allowed to confiscate assets obtained from criminal activities before sentencing following an application from the High Court.[11] This move helps in the investigation of suspected criminals, as they are denied the financial freedom that would jeopardize investigations. Suspected criminals planning to flee overseas using material gains from criminal activities may be apprehended by law enforcement authorities. However, it was worth noting that the public prosecutor has the responsibility to prove that a suspect was involved in criminal activities before being granted permission for civil confiscation.

The Organised Crime Act 2015 also provides for statutory laws that contain preventive orders. These are orders used by the public prosecutor to prevent the likelihood of a suspect engaging in future criminal activities. There are three orders that fall within the preventive orders provided in the act namely disqualification order, financial reporting order and the Organised crime prevention order.[12] The disqualification order restricts suspects from getting involved in the management of companies. If suspects are found guilty, they are automatically disqualified by the court from acting as directors for companies. This order is drawn from the fact that one may use the corporate form as a shield while engaging in criminal activities in the background. The privileges emanating from the limited liability feature of a company may pose a challenge in the investigation of a suspect.[13] Financial reporting order is issued on suspects demanding them to submit their financial reports to relevant authorities. Such orders are issued on individuals serving their sentence and may be extended even after the jail term. The public prosecutor is also legally permitted to demand these reports from suspects who have not been found guilty by the courts. This law prevents the sentenced members of secret societies from funding criminal activities while serving their sentence. Organised crime prevention order grants permission to law enforcement authorities to monitor the activities of suspects including those not found guilty. It has helped reduce organised crime by monitoring the activities of former criminals as well as persons of interest.[14]

Even though arguments have been made against these laws, Singapore has recorded a sharp decline in the rate of organised crime since 2016. Human rights advocates argue that these laws infringe on the rights of citizens by suppressing their freedom of expression and assembly. The preventive detention permitted by the Criminal Law Act has always been a subject of debate. Critics argue that the warrantless arrest of suspects is subject to abuse by the law enforcement authorities.[15]