4 foreigners charged for illegally working as food delivery riders

SINGAPORE: Four foreigners faced charges in a Singaporean court this week for allegedly engaging in food delivery services without the requisite work permits. Alongside them, three local individuals were accused of abetting in these unlawful activities. The accused foreigners include three Malaysians and an Indian national.

The Malaysians, identified as Ng Teik Chuan (36 years old), Chaw Soon Yaw (28 years old), and Muhammad Syazuwan Sharil (27 years old), were among those charged. Additionally, Amanullah Faizal Navas (38 years old), an Indian citizen, was also implicated in this case.

All four foreign nationals were charged under the Employment of Foreign Workers Act and have signalled their intention to plead guilty. If convicted, they could face severe penalties, including imprisonment for up to two years, fines of up to $20,000, or both. Furthermore, they may face a permanent ban on working within Singapore.

According to the Ministry of Manpower, Ng Teik Chuan allegedly conducted food deliveries for a number of food delivery platforms between May 2022 and March of this year.

Amanullah Faizal Navas was accused of delivering food for the popular food delivery platform Foodpanda using the account of his friend, Muhammad Mubeen Muthibbi Sahul Hameed, in March this year.

Chaw Soon Yaw purportedly used his brother Chaw Soon Song’s Deliveroo account to make food deliveries from December 2022 to March this year.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Syazuwan Sharil was suspected of utilizing the account of his former colleague, Low Kim Soon, to deliver food for Deliveroo between November 2022 and March this year.

All three locals who aided the defendants also face action for abetting the foreigners.