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Four men arrested in Bukit Timah believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates
They were found to have housebreaking tools such as screwdrivers, spanners, clothing and cash that totalled more than $400. ST PHOTOS: DESMOND FOO, SHINTARO TAY
SINGAPORE - The four men who were arrested on Aug 8 in Bukit Timah after a police search operation are believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates involving Chinese nationals.
The quartet will be charged on Aug 10 for possession of housebreaking implements. If convicted, they could face a jail term of up to two years and a fine.
A police operation near the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road was ongoing 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 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 the same night, while the fourth was arrested the next morning at a hotel in Geylang.
They were found to have housebreaking tools such as screwdrivers, spanners, clothing and cash that totalled more than $400.
The four men, who are from the Guizhou province in China, entered Singapore by Woodlands Checkpoint on social visit passes on Aug 8.
Police officers were stationed in the vicinity of Greenleaf Place on the night of Aug 8. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
The police said the men could be linked to other housebreaking-related cases reported in Singapore between April and July.
It has stepped up measures to prevent housebreaking and theft in private residential estates since June 2024, such as placing more police cameras and having frequent patrols.
The police urged residents to adopt crime prevention measures such as installing CCTVs and burglar alarm systems.
The commander of Clementi division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu, at a press conference about break-ins, at Clementi Police Division headquarters on Aug 10. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
The commander of Clementi division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu, 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.”
- Isabelle Liew is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers housing issues in Singapore, with a focus on public housing.
