Enforcement Framework Against Wildlife Trafficking

Mr Jackson Lam asked the Minister for National Development (a) what obligations do freight forwarders and shipping carriers bear when seized wildlife products are found transiting through Singapore; (b) whether corporate actors in the logistics chain have been prosecuted in the past five years; and (c) how does Singapore's enforcement framework deter repeat use of identical concealment methods across separate seizures.

Mr Chee Hong Tat: The National Parks Board (NParks) works closely with Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to apply a risk assessment framework to screen and identify cargo for further inspection at our borders. Agencies regularly review risk profiles of entities, trade routes and shipment methods to ensure that the framework remains robust.

Local freight forwarders and shipping carriers are required to exercise due diligence in their operations, and must comply with the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act (ESA) whereby scheduled species transiting in Singapore require valid permits. NParks has taken action against parties who did not comply with the ESA.