2 days ago
4 foreigners arrested after Rail Corridor search suspected to be part of housebreaking syndicate, Singapore News
The four Chinese nationals who were arrested after a police search operation near the Rail Corridor on Friday (Aug 8) are suspected to be members of a criminal housebreaking syndicate.
The quartet, aged between 36 and 41, were found to possess housebreaking implements such as screwdrivers and spanners.
At a media conference on Sunday (Aug 10), the police said they had been conducting housebreaking operations in the vicinity of the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road on Friday evening.
Patrolling officers had spotted the men running into a forested area, and a joint operation involving the Gurkha and Special Operations Command was activated to comb the area.
According to The Straits Times, officers were spotted searching near Greenleaf Place and a drone was seen flying over the nearby forested area.
During the search operation, two men were arrested at the forested areas near the Rail Corridor.
The third man was arrested at a mall near Clementi that night, while the fourth man was arrested on Saturday (Aug 9) morning at a hotel in Geylang.
AC Serene Chiu, Commander of Clementi Police Division, said the quartet had arrived in Singapore from Malaysia via Woodlands Checkpoint on social visit passes on Aug 8.
Three of the suspects have previous Singapore entry records, and it is believed that they are known to each other.
The men did not look like "typical parkgoers" and had fled when approached by police at the Rail Corridor, she said.
The suspects were found to be carrying housebreaking implements as well as clothing and cash amounting to over $400. Their passports were seized when the last suspect was apprehended at the Geylang hotel.
AC Chiu said the police believe the men may be linked to three housebreaking-related cases reported in the vicinity of Rail Corridor between April and July.
Of the three, one is a case of attempted housebreaking. The two other housebreaking reports saw about $60,000 worth of luxury watches and jewellery stolen from the homes.
"Through effective coordination and sensemaking by the police, the four men were arrested in less than 24 hours from the time they entered Singapore, and before they could commit a house-breaking," AC Chiu said.
"The police will spare no efforts to apprehend persons who enter Singapore to commit crime and will deal with them to the fullest extent of the law."
Investigations are ongoing.
The four men will be charged in court on Aug 10 for the possession of housebreaking implements with common intention. If found guilty, they may be jailed for up to two years, or fined, or both. Spate of recent housebreaking cases
In December 2024, two Chinese nationals were arrested for breaking into a landed property at Greenleaf View and stealing valuables including watches and jewellery.
Zhang Yongxiang, 52, had climbed into the home via an adjacent house that was under construction while Feng Yunlong, 38, kept a lookout outside.
They were both sentenced to 15 months' jail on June 24, reported CNA.
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Between June 1 and Aug 4, 2024, 10 housebreaking cases were reported in Singapore, with most cases happening at the private residential estates in the vicinity of the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road.
The police have since stepped up prevention measures, including deploying additional cameras and stepping up patrols.
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