SINGAPORE - Four men who were
are believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates involving Chinese nationals.
The four were charged on Aug 10.
Zhuo Yinggui, 36; Yang Chao, 41; Zhou Qifa, 36; and He Jiao, 38, all Chinese nationals, were each handed one charge for possessing housebreaking tools.
According to court documents, they were allegedly found on Aug 8 at the Rail Corridor near the Greenleaf estate with two black balaclavas, three screwdrivers bent at the tips, three pairs of gloves, two wrenches and a torchlight.
If convicted, they could be jailed for up to two years and fined.
A police operation near the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road was being conducted on Aug 8 when the four men were spotted behaving suspiciously in a park. They fled into a forested area after being approached by the police.
The police said on Aug 10 that they were conducting an operation against housebreaking as housebreakers would typically exploit the forested areas along the Rail Corridor to conceal their movements as they attempt to break into homes.
Within two hours, two of the men were arrested in the forested area.
The third man was arrested at a mall near Clementi on Aug 8, while the fourth was arrested the next morning at a hotel in Geylang.
Besides housebreaking tools stated in court documents, they were also found with clothing and cash that totalled more than $400.
The four men, who are from Guizhou province in China, entered Singapore by Woodlands Checkpoint on social visit passes on Aug 8. For three of the men, it was not their first time entering Singapore.
The police said the men could be linked to other housebreaking cases reported in Singapore between April and July.
During that period, there were three reported cases of housebreaking near the Rail Corridor, and one attempted housebreaking incident. In two of the housebreaking incidents, about $60,000 worth of luxury watches and jewellery were stolen.
Investigations are looking to determine if the men are linked to previous
.
The four men have been remanded for further investigations. Bail has not been offered.
Their cases are expected to be heard again on Aug 15.
Police have stepped up measures to prevent housebreaking and theft in private residential estates since June 2024, such as having more police cameras and conducting frequent patrols.
They have urged residents to adopt crime prevention measures such as installing CCTVs and burglar alarm systems.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu, commander of Clementi Police Division, said: “Through effective coordination and sense-making by the police, the four men were arrested in less than 24 hours from the time they entered Singapore, and before they could commit housebreaking.”
A resident of the Greenleaf landed estate, Ms Joanna Ong, 53, said the estate has been hit with a spate of break-ins since 2024.
In August 2024, it was reported that housebreaking syndicates were behind 10 home burglaries in various landed estates, including in the Greenleaf vicinity. The housebreakers stole about $3.85 million in cash and valuables.
In December 2024, two Chinese nationals allegedly
.
Ms Ong, who works in finance, said she installed two CCTV cameras and lights along the perimeter of her home after learning about the incidents in 2024.
“I always see police cars patrolling the area. It’s a constant reminder that we need to be vigilant,” she said.
Another Greenleaf resident, a part-time lecturer who wanted to be known only as Mr Yong, said he had planned to install security cameras before the recent arrests, but had not done so.
The 58-year-old said he will speed up plans to beef up the security of his home, which has been owned by his father for about 50 years.
