Statute Details
- Title: Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) (Prescribed International Organisations) Regulations 2019
- Act Code: CDTOSCCBA1992-S168-2019
- Legislation Type: Subsidiary Legislation (SL)
- Authorising Act: Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (Cap. 65A)
- Enacting Formula (Power Used): Section 64 of the Act
- Commencement: 1 April 2019
- Key Provisions (from extract): Section 1 (Citation and commencement); Section 2 (Prescribed international organisation)
- Most Recent Version Noted: Current version as at 27 Mar 2026
- Amendment History (from extract): Amended by S 488/2023 with effect from 31/12/2021
- Prescribed Organisation (Section 2): Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units
What Is This Legislation About?
The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) (Prescribed International Organisations) Regulations 2019 is a short piece of subsidiary legislation that performs a specific legal function: it designates a particular international body as a “prescribed international organisation” for the purposes of Singapore’s confiscation framework under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (the “Act”).
In plain language, the Regulations help Singapore recognise and operationalise certain international arrangements relevant to the tracing, identification, and confiscation of benefits derived from serious crimes such as corruption and drug trafficking. The Act’s confiscation regime is designed to deprive offenders of proceeds and benefits, and it relies in part on cross-border cooperation. This Regulations package is one of the mechanisms that makes those cooperation pathways legally effective.
Although the Regulations contain only two operative provisions in the extract, their legal impact can be significant. By prescribing the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, Singapore aligns its confiscation-related information-sharing and international cooperation framework with the structures used by financial intelligence units globally.
What Are the Key Provisions?
Section 1: Citation and commencement. Section 1 provides the formal title and states that the Regulations come into operation on 1 April 2019. For practitioners, this matters because it determines when the designation became legally effective and when any related reliance on the prescribed status could begin.
Section 2: Prescribed international organisation. Section 2 is the substantive provision. It states that the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units is a prescribed international organisation for the purposes of the definition of “international arrangement” in section 48(3) of the Act.
This drafting approach is typical in Singapore legislation: the Regulations do not themselves create a confiscation power. Instead, they feed into the Act’s definitions and operational provisions. The key legal consequence is that the Egmont Group becomes one of the recognised international entities through which the Act’s “international arrangement” concept can be satisfied.
Effect of the amendment (S 488/2023, wef 31/12/2021). The extract indicates that Section 2 was amended by S 488/2023 with effect from 31/12/2021. While the extract does not show the precise textual change, the presence of an amendment suggests that the legal designation or its scope/wording was updated. Practitioners should therefore verify the current text when advising on matters that may have occurred before and after 31 December 2021, particularly where the timing of “international arrangement” status could affect procedural steps or evidential reliance.
Practical linkage to section 48(3) of the Act. The Regulations expressly tie the prescribed status to the definition of “international arrangement” in section 48(3). That linkage is crucial: it means the Egmont Group is not prescribed for a standalone purpose; it is prescribed to ensure that cooperation channels connected to Egmont fall within the Act’s legally defined category. In practice, this can support the flow of information between financial intelligence units and, by extension, support investigations and confiscation actions where benefits are suspected to be derived from serious crimes.
How Is This Legislation Structured?
The Regulations are structured as a short instrument with an enacting formula and two numbered provisions:
- Enacting Formula: States that the Minister for Home Affairs makes the Regulations in exercise of powers conferred by section 64 of the Act.
- Section 1 (Citation and commencement): Sets the name and commencement date (1 April 2019).
- Section 2 (Prescribed international organisation): Designates the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units as a prescribed international organisation for the Act’s definition of “international arrangement”.
There are no schedules or detailed procedural rules in the extract because the Regulations’ function is definitional and enabling—i.e., to ensure that the Act’s broader confiscation and cooperation framework can operate with respect to a specified international body.
Who Does This Legislation Apply To?
Although the Regulations are directed at a specific international organisation designation, the practical effect is felt by parties involved in Singapore’s anti-corruption and anti-money laundering ecosystems—particularly those dealing with investigations, information requests, and confiscation proceedings under the Act.
In terms of direct legal applicability, the Regulations primarily bind the Government and the relevant authorities administering the Act. However, the designation can indirectly affect respondents and legal representatives in confiscation proceedings because it may influence what constitutes a legally recognised “international arrangement” and therefore what information or cooperation may be relied upon in the course of tracing and confiscation.
For practitioners, the key question is not “who is named in the Regulations,” but rather: how does the prescribed status of Egmont affect the operation of the Act’s international cooperation provisions? That is where the Act’s section 48(3) definition becomes central.
Why Is This Legislation Important?
Even though the Regulations are brief, they are important because confiscation regimes are often constrained by cross-border realities. Serious crimes such as corruption and drug trafficking frequently involve international networks, offshore accounts, and multi-jurisdictional financial flows. Singapore’s confiscation framework therefore depends on legally structured international cooperation.
By prescribing the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, Singapore ensures that cooperation pathways associated with the Egmont framework fall within the Act’s definition of “international arrangement.” This can support the legitimacy and admissibility of cooperation-related steps, and it can reduce administrative friction when authorities seek information or assistance through internationally recognised channels.
From an enforcement and litigation perspective, the designation can matter in at least three ways:
- Operational clarity: Authorities can confidently treat Egmont-linked cooperation as falling within the Act’s defined international arrangement concept.
- Procedural defensibility: Where confiscation proceedings rely on information obtained through international cooperation, the legal basis for that cooperation is strengthened by the Regulations’ prescription.
- Timing and amendment considerations: Because the Regulations were amended with effect from 31/12/2021, counsel should consider whether the relevant cooperation occurred before or after that date, and whether any procedural reliance changed as a result.
For lawyers advising clients—whether in responding to confiscation actions, challenging evidential foundations, or advising on compliance and risk—this Regulations instrument is a small but meaningful piece of the statutory architecture that enables international financial intelligence cooperation to feed into Singapore’s confiscation objectives.
Related Legislation
- Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (Cap. 65A) — particularly:
- Section 48(3) (definition of “international arrangement”)
- Section 64 (power to make subsidiary legislation)
- Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) (Prescribed International Organisations) Regulations 2019 — as amended by S 488/2023 (wef 31/12/2021)
Source Documents
This article provides an overview of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) (Prescribed International Organisations) Regulations 2019 for legal research and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult the official text for authoritative provisions.