Interpol Red Notices in Singapore: The City-State’s Growing Role in International Policing

Singapore has become one of Interpol’s most important partners in Asia. The city-state hosts the INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI), participates actively in international operations, and makes regular use of the Interpol Red Notice system to pursue suspects who flee abroad. Recent months have illustrated just how central Singapore has become to international policing in the region.

In June 2025, Interpol marked the tenth anniversary of the IGCI with a ceremony attended by Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza and senior Singaporean officials. The facility now houses more than 140 staff and provides 24/7 operational support to member countries across Asia-Pacific. The anniversary highlighted the depth of Singapore’s partnership with Interpol and its role as a regional hub for tackling transnational crime.

That partnership extends to the sharp end of policing. In November 2025, Thai officers arrested Eng Sie, a 32-year-old Singaporean wanted on an Interpol Red Notice, in Khon Kaen province. He ranked among the top targets on the Singapore Police Force’s list of Cambodia-based scam suspects and has since been handed over for deportation and prosecution. The case demonstrates the Interpol Red Notice system working as intended: a request from Singapore, coordination with Thai authorities, and the eventual arrest and return of a wanted suspect.

In January 2025, Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam told Parliament that approximately 80 people on the Interpol Red Notice list have ties to Singapore. Around 40 are Singaporean nationals. Only a few are publicly identifiable on Interpol’s website. They include Siak Lai Chun, a former bank executive allegedly behind an $18.7 million fraud; two men wanted for separate murders in 2006 and 2007; a former taxi driver linked to a 2008 armed robbery and kidnapping; and a former tuition centre principal who helped students cheat in O-level examinations. The remaining notices are restricted to law enforcement—Interpol’s public database represents only a fraction of the Red Notices in circulation.

Singapore’s approach to Interpol Red Notices is consistent with international practice. A Red Notice is not an arrest warrant but a request for provisional arrest pending extradition, and police can only act if there is a formal extradition request under an applicable treaty. All immigration applications are screened against adverse information, including Red Notices, though the Ministry of Home Affairs noted that some individuals had entered Singapore before notices were issued against them.

Singapore’s engagement with Interpol represents international policing cooperation at its most effective. The IGCI provides critical infrastructure. Operations like Thunder—which seized a record 30,000 live animals from the illegal wildlife trade in 2025, with Singapore contributing raids on endangered species—show the system delivering results. The arrest in Thailand demonstrates Red Notices functioning as they should.

But as we have seen time and again, the Interpol Red Notice system remains vulnerable to misuse. States with poor human rights records can and do exploit it to pursue political opponents, business rivals, and dissidents abroad. Singapore’s strong rule of law and robust institutions provide some protection, but individuals passing through or residing in the city-state may still find themselves subject to notices that raise serious questions about motivation and process. Those facing an Interpol Red Notice in Singapore need to understand their rights and the mechanisms available to challenge abusive alerts.

If you are concerned about an Interpol Red Notice or believe you may be subject to a politically motivated alert, our team of Interpol Red Notice lawyers has extensive experience challenging abusive notices and representing clients across Asia and beyond. Contact us to discuss your situation in confidence.

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