Singapore  - Foreigners from India, Bangladesh, China, Mongolia and Indonesia are making up the bulk of illegal hawkers in Singapore, news reports said on Wednesday.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said so far this year, 650 of the 800 hawkers nabbed have come from abroad. Since only Singaporeans can obtain licenses to hawk legally, the activities of those from elsewhere are illegal.

Getting caught is viewed as a risk of the trade, the NEA said.

"I have been doing this all my life," a hawker was quoted as saying. "What else can I do?"

They typically sell curry puffs, fish paste cakes and fruit wherever crowds congregate, said the NEA findings in The Straits Times.

Selling cooked food is proibited for hygiene reasons.

Fines are 1,000 Singapore dollars (746 US dollars) for a first offense and go up to 4,000 Singapore dollars or three months in jail for those nabbed again.

The rising number has prompted the NEA to engage auxiliary police to conduct additional patrols.

The foreigners have boosted the number of unlicensed hawkers fined in the past three years from 2,915 in 2005 to 9,334 last year, the report said.

Some are work permit holders moonlighting as hawkers, the NEA said, but most come as tourists on social visit passes. In either case, it's illegal.

Licences allowing hawkers to sell ice cream and non-easily perishable food items are only issued to Singaporeans or permanent residents who cannot find jobs. (dpa)