Singapore arrests 18 suspects for importing staff on fake work permits
- The manpower ministry uncovered a ‘potential syndicate suspected of setting up several shell companies to apply for work passes’
- The case came to light after a foreign national in July attempted to acquire Singapore work pass illegally, prompting a months-long investigation
Singapore’s Manpower Ministry on Tuesday said 18 people had been arrested over the past week on suspicion “of bringing foreigners” to the city state “on work passes obtained through false declarations”.
The ministry last week mounted a 12-hour operation at 22 locations across the country after uncovering a “potential syndicate suspected of setting up several shell companies to apply for work passes”.
“Such syndicates typically recruit Singapore citizens and Singapore permanent residents to receive CPF contributions as ‘phantom local workers’ in order to illegally inflate the companies’ quota to hire foreigners,” the ministry said in a statement, referring to the city state’s retirement fund contributions.
“Based on the inflated quota, the companies would apply for work passes for the foreigners through false declarations and collect kickbacks from them,” it said.
