Trafficking in persons
Open ↗3.—(1) Any person who recruits, transports, transfers, harbours or receives an individual (other than a child) by means of —(a)
the threat or use of force, or any other form of coercion;
(b)
abduction;
(c)
fraud or deception;
(d)
the abuse of power;
(e)
the abuse of the position of vulnerability of the individual; or
(f)
the giving to, or the receipt by, another person having control over that individual of any money or other benefit to secure that other person’s consent,
for the purpose of the exploitation (whether in Singapore or elsewhere) of the individual shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) Any person who recruits, transports, transfers, harbours or receives a child for the purpose of the exploitation (whether in Singapore or elsewhere) of the child shall be guilty of an offence.
(3) In determining whether an offence has been committed under this section, the following is irrelevant: (a)
in the case where the alleged victim of the offence is a child, whether the child, or the child’s parent or guardian, consented to the actual or intended exploitation;
(b)
in any other case, whether the alleged victim of the offence consented to the actual or intended exploitation.
(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) or (2), it does not matter whether the act of trafficking in persons described in that subsection is done partly in and partly outside Singapore provided that the act, if done wholly in Singapore, would constitute an offence under that subsection.
Punishment for trafficking in persons
Open ↗4.—(1) Any person who is guilty of an offence under section 3, upon conviction —(a)
in the case of a first offence, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding $100,000 and with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, and shall be liable to caning not exceeding 6 strokes; and
(b)
in the case of a second or subsequent offence, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding $150,000, with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 years and shall be liable to caning not exceeding 9 strokes.[Act 21 of 2025 wef 17/08/2026]
(2) In determining the appropriate sentence for an offence under section 3, the court may take into account the aggravating factors relevant to the offence including the following:(a)
the offence involved serious injury to or the death (including death by suicide) of the trafficked victim or another individual;
(b)
the trafficked victim was particularly vulnerable due to pregnancy, illness, infirmity, disability or any other reason, and the offender was aware of the trafficked victim’s particular vulnerability;
(c)
the trafficked victim was a child;
(d)
the offence exposed the trafficked victim to a life‑threatening illness;
(e)
the offence involved actual or threatened use of a weapon or drug;
(f)
the offender was a public servant;
(g)
the offender was the trafficked victim’s spouse or conjugal partner;
(h)
the offender was abusing a position of trust or authority in relation to the trafficked victim.
Abetment of trafficking in persons
Open ↗5.—(1) For the purposes of Chapter 5 of the Penal Code 1871, a person abets the commission of an offence under section 3 if —(a)
the person instructs another person to commit the offence;
(b)
the person provides or arranges any form of financing, transport, shelter, accommodation or any other facility with the intention of facilitating the commission of the offence; or
(c)
the person —(i)
participates or assists in the recruitment, transport, transfer, harbouring or receiving of an individual;
(ii)
employs or assists in the employment of any of the means specified in section 3(1)(a) to (f) in respect of the individual; or
(iii)
does any act to promote or in furtherance of the actual or intended exploitation of the individual,
with the intention of facilitating the commission of the offence against the individual.
(2) To avoid doubt, this section is without prejudice to the generality of the term “abetment” under the Penal Code 1871.
Persons who receive payments in connection with exploitation of trafficked victims
Open ↗6.—(1) Any person who knowingly receives any payment in connection with the actual or intended exploitation in Singapore of a trafficked victim shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) Any person who is guilty of an offence under subsection (1), upon conviction —(a)
in the case of a first offence, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding $100,000 and with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, and shall be liable to caning not exceeding 6 strokes; and
(b)
in the case of a second or subsequent offence, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding $150,000, with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 years and shall be liable to caning not exceeding 9 strokes.[Act 21 of 2025 wef 17/08/2026]
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
