3 foreigners detained in Singapore for working illegally as delivery people

Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Koh Poh Koon said in an August 18 Facebook post that the Ministry of Manpower had carried out a nationwide enforcement operation in recent weeks.

Among the 375 delivery workers checked during the operation, three foreigners were arrested and under investigation for working illegally, he added.

A deliveryman on his motorcycle in Singapore, March 14, 2017. Photo by AFP

His ministry is probing locals who facilitated these foreigners in conducting illegal delivery work.

Foreigners who work in Singapore without a valid work pass may be liable to a fine not exceeding SGD20,000 (US$15,600), imprisonment for up to two years, or both, he said, adding that local abettors who allow foreigners to use their accounts may face the same penalties.

Delivery companies told The Straits Times that they have been making drastic effort to combat illegal employment.

A spokesperson said Deliveroo takes a zero-tolerance approach to unauthorized account sharing.

The Straits Times, however, has found that a Deliveroo account was available for rent at SGD150 a month on Monday on online marketplace Carousell.

Ride-hailing platform Grab said it conducts random selfie verification checks to prevent account sharing.

"Foreigners who work illegally on the platform are not eligible for any coverage, as they are not recognized participants in the platform economy," a spokesperson said.

Last year, the Ministry of Manpower received and investigated approximately 90 complaints regarding suspected illegal foreign delivery drivers.