Authorities arrested four foreigners for working illegally as delivery riders in Singapore over the past few months.
The arrests came as the authorities checked more than 30 potential hotspots across the island, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon in a Facebook post on Monday (8 Sept).
Source: Koh Poh Koon on Facebook
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has ramped up enforcement operations against foreigners engaging in platform work, Dr Koh said.
In collaboration with the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), MOM officers identified hotspots covered by operations and checked a total of 644 delivery workers.
The officers arrested four foreigners for not having valid work passes.
Source: Koh Poh Koon on Facebook
The most recent inspection probed 269 delivery workers, with one foreigner found working illegally and arrested.
He credited local delivery riders for their “strong support” and cooperation with officers.
This support enabled the checks to go smoothly.
Dr Koh noted that traditional logistics companies, F&B restaurants, and other retail businesses in Singapore employed 22 of the delivery workers they encountered.
They held valid work passes and were delivering goods such as food, documents, lab materials and eyewear for their employers.
These employers may employ foreigners with valid work passes as delivery personnel.
Source: Koh Poh Koon on Facebook
Some of the foreign delivery personnel used their own transport, including foreign-registered motorcycles.
This is allowed and legal, the minister of state said.
As for foreigners working as delivery riders illegally, MOM remains committed to stamping out the practice as it disadvantages local platform workers, Dr Koh said.
The ministry will continue to work with NDCA in conducting regular checks at potential hotspots.
He also encouraged members of the public to report foreigners suspected of working as illegal delivery riders.
Source: Koh Poh Koon on Facebook
In a Facebook post on the same day, NDCA thanked MOM and local delivery riders for their “strong cooperation”.
“NDCA will continue working closely with MOM to keep our delivery sector fair and safe,” it said.
The organisation added that such checks helped to ensure a level playing field and protected the jobs and livelihoods of local delivery riders.
The inspections came as complaints proliferated over foreign delivery riders allegedly “renting” locals’ accounts to take food orders, intensifying competition for local riders.
NDCA said the problem had worsened since the group was formed in June last year, from just a handful of cases then to dozens of complaints every week now.
The problem reportedly began during the COVID-19 pandemic when many Singaporeans signed up for delivery jobs but kept their accounts when restrictions eased.
These account holders began “renting” them to others for profit.
Under Singapore law, foreigners caught working without a valid work pass face a fine of up to S$20,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Locals who abet such offences are subject to the same penalties.
Foreigners will also be permanently barred from working in Singapore upon conviction.
Also read: 375 riders inspected in island-wide operation against illegal delivery work, 3 foreigners arrested
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Featured image adapted from Koh Poh Koon on Facebook.