Parliament: Bill to allow police to tackle organised crime at all levels

SINGAPORE - A new law to provide law enforcement agencies here with wide-ranging powers to prevent and disrupt organised crime activities was tabled in Parliament on Monday.

Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran said in Parliament that the Organised Crime Bill would help detect, investigate, prevent and disrupt organised crime activities and deprive criminals involved in such activities from the benefits of their crimes.

The Bill, which was last mentioned in Parliament in 2012, will give investigative authorities more power to deter and tackle organised crime at all levels, from masterminds to organised crime members who carry out these criminal activities.

It will also give authorities extra-territorial coverage to tackle transnational organised crime that involves people who are overseas and involved in organised crime-related activities which result in harm in Singapore, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOH) in a statement.

MOH said it studied the laws and practicies of other countries such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UN Convention on Transnational Organised Crime.

"MHA also held consultations with the Judiciary and legal fraternity on the key features of the Bill," said the ministry in a statement.

klim@sph.com.sg