SINGAPORE

There was a large-scale seizure in March 2014, which led to a multi-agency investigation involving the Lusaka Agreement Task Force (LATF), ASEAN-WEN and its member agencies in South-East Asia. The investigation resulted in the arrest of seven members of the illicit supply chain in multiple countries.

It has been recognised that Singapore’s domestic ivory market has declined substantially.

Major transit hub

Singapore is a major transit country in the ivory trade chain, used by organised criminal groups to traffic ivory predominately intended for Vietnam and China. Since 2000, Singapore has seized 13 tonnes of ivory, representing over five per cent of ivory from all large-scale seizures worldwide. In addition, at least 14 large-scale ivory seizures outside Singapore have been linked to Singapore. EIA investigations have documented how organised criminal networks smuggle ivory in containers via Singapore unhindered (e.g. by using the Singaporean shipping line Pacific International Lines to transport illegal ivory from Mozambique).

Insufficient checks on goods in transit

It is highly likely that the amount of illegal ivory passing through Singapore is far higher than the amount seized, particularly because of inadequate law enforcement. The ETIS report recommended that Singapore (along with Malaysia) “needs to focus upon risk assessment, intelligence gathering and targeting with respect to containerised sea and air cargo moving between Africa and prominent destination locations in Asia; the use of controlled deliveries and sniffer dogs is another important consideration for supporting effective law enforcement.”

Low levels of prosecutions

Singapore submitted a lengthy report to SC69 about its progress in tackling the illegal ivory trade, emphasising its strong law enforcement record, yet the report mentioned only one fine and two prosecutions resulting in prison sentences for ivory trafficking through Singapore.

Not applied ICCWC Toolkit

Singapore has not applied the ICCWC Toolkit nor expressed any intention to do so.

Category A country yet no NIAP

The ETIS report to CoP17 identified Singapore as a Category A country because of its role as a major transit hub in the illegal ivory trade: “China, Hong Kong SAR, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, SINGAPORE [emphasis added], Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Vietnam collectively account for the greatest quantity of illegal ivory in trade, according to the seizures data in ETIS. On the basis of this analysis, Malawi, Singapore and Togo now emerge as countries which the Parties could consider for inclusion in the CITES oversight process to address illegal trade in ivory.”

There is a presumption under the NIAP Guidelines that Category A countries should participate in the NIAP process and Singapore should be no exception. The NIAP process provides a structure, a template for objectives, the requirement to submit progress reports and the potential for measures to be taken against a Party in default. None of that is available when a Party remains outside the NIAP process, even though its participation in the illegal ivory trade is significant enough to place it in Category A.