India, Singapore unite for tough action against terror and transnational crime

The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Vinod Bahade, Joint Secretary (Counter Terrorism) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Ngiam Shih Chun, Deputy Secretary (Policy) in Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

In a joint statement, the JWG unequivocally and strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and reaffirmed the principle of zero tolerance towards terrorism.

The two sides also condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, and the terror incident near Red Fort in New Delhi on November 10, 2025, stressing that those responsible must be held accountable.

The JWG agreed that confronting terrorism requires sustained, comprehensive, and concerted action. In this regard, both countries renewed their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts through platforms such as the United Nations, ASEAN, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and other international forums.

The discussions also focused on cooperation in combating terrorists and terror groups listed under the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee.

Both sides agreed on the need to further strengthen information sharing mechanisms to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of responses to cross-border threats.

The meeting covered a wide range of traditional and emerging security challenges, including terrorist recruitment, cross-border movement of terrorists, radicalisation, misuse of technology for terrorist activities, and terror financing.

The two delegations also exchanged views on regional and global terrorism threat assessments, cybercrime, drug trafficking, and the growing nexus between transnational organised crime and terrorism. They agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation to address these evolving challenges.

The JWG further emphasised collaboration in information sharing, law enforcement coordination, capacity building, and the exchange of best practices to counter terrorism and transnational crime effectively.

As part of the visit, the Singapore delegation also toured India’s Anti-Scam Centre. Highlighting the importance of international collaboration in tackling transnational scams, both sides expressed their commitment to strengthening cooperation through information exchange, capacity building, and sharing of expertise.

The next meeting of the Joint Working Group on Combating Terrorism and Transnational Crime will be held in Singapore on a mutually convenient date, the statement added.