Meeting between the Polish and Singaporean Ministers of Interior: working together to tackle global threats
18.05.2026
Strengthening resilience to hybrid threats, combating cybercrime and developing an effective legal framework for bilateral cooperation - these were the main topics of the meeting between Marcin Kierwiński, Polish Minister of Interior and Administration, and Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, Singapore's Minister for Home Affairs. Despite the geographical distance between them, both countries face similar challenges in cyberspace and in the fight against international organised crime.
New challenges in cyberspace
The ministers discussed the need for a joint response to the evolution of criminal organisations operating under the ‘Crime-as-a-Service’ model (the online rental of ready-made hacking tools).
Both sides are particularly concerned about the phenomenon of minors being recruited online to carry out acts of violence and sabotage. The Polish side pointed out that setting up joint investigation teams would make it possible to effectively dismantle these networks and neutralise recruitment platforms.
The geopolitical context and hybrid threats
Minister Marcin Kierwiński outlined the situation on the eastern border of Poland and the European Union, which has been under constant migratory pressure for almost five years, orchestrated by the regimes in Minsk and Moscow. It is accompanied by disinformation campaigns.
Contemporary hybrid operations are often funded by underground banking systems and front companies based in international economic hubs, including those in Asia. The international agreement proposed by Poland would provide Polish customs and tax authorities with the tools to conduct joint investigations with Singapore, enabling them to effectively cut off criminals and aggressors from their sources of funding.
