SINGAPORE: The recent spate of housebreaking cases in private residential estates appears to be linked to foreign syndicates involving Chinese nationals, the police said on Saturday (Aug 17). Three people have been arrested and charged in court so far, while the police are trying to locate another 14 who are currently out of Singapore. “The police are engaging the assistance of the Chinese authorities to obtain more information and locate them.
Any members of the public with information on them are encouraged to provide this information to the police,” they said. Based on preliminary investigations, the syndicates are believed to operate in small groups and would break into residences by scaling the perimeter walls or fences. The suspects are believed to be transient travellers who had entered Singapore as Social Visit Pass holders, usually one to two days before committing the offence, said the police.
After committing the crime, they would leave the scene and attempt to depart the country as soon as possible to avoid detection. Most of their targets were observed to be near park connectors or forested areas, which provided cover for their activities. The loot was also sometimes concealed in the nearby forested areas and later retrieved by accomplices.
SUDDEN SPIKE IN CASES Before the recent cases, housebreaking crimes were on a downward trend, the police said. Fifty-nine cases were reported in the first half of this year, compared with 70 in the same period last year. However, 10 cases were reported between Jun 1 and Aug 4 this year, most of them taking place in private residential estates around the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road.
The stolen items in the 10 cases were valued at S$3.85 million (US$2.92 million), of which about S$1.
36 million worth of items have been recovered. Three suspects have since been arrested and charged in court. Long Zhihua, 38, and Luo Changchang, 43, were charged on Jun 28, while Wu Jinxing was charged on Jul 29.
Wu, 27, was arrested on Jul 27 at the forested area at the Rail Corridor, and then charged with dishonestly retaining stolen property worth more than S$180,000. Cash and items seized from him include an orange Hermes Birkin bag valued at S$75,000, about S$68,800 in Singapore dollars and foreign currencies amounting to S$78,800, as well as three luxury watches including a S$30,000 Jaeger-LeCoultre watch, a Hublot watch and an Omega timepiece. The police have stepped up its patrols and presence in private residential estates around the affected area, in response to the spate of cases.
AERIAL PATROLS Drones fitted with blinkers, cameras and thermal sensors will complement patrols by officers on the ground, the police said. These will be deployed at key locations within the estates to enhance visibility and to detect suspicious activities. The drones also support search operations, in response to suspected cases of housebreaking or sightings of suspicious individuals in the area.
Mobile cameras, known as Mobicams, have also been set up at strategic locations in the estates, such as major junctions and the main entry and exit points. They have self-sustainable power supplies, and can be set up quickly outdoors when needed. RESIDENTS PATROLLING The police said its officers have spoken to residents of landed properties across the island and distributed crime prevention advisories to those living near park connectors and forested areas.
Crime alert signs have also been put up in crime-prone areas. With the increased publicity and outreach, the police said they have received several calls on suspicious sightings, although they turned out to be false alarms. Residents are also involved in the Citizens on Patrol scheme, where members undergo one-and-a-half days of training before patrolling neighbourhoods in groups of at least four.
Mr Daniel Lin, who has lived in the Mount Sinai estate for 30 years, has been in the Citizens on Patrol scheme for about three years. “Residents have given feedback that they are very concerned about the recent spread of break-ins, especially some residents with elderly at home, or they are gone for the school holidays then no one is at home, and also the young children,” said Mr Lin, who is in his 40s and works in the logistics sector. He said the residents first noticed that their community was being targeted after sharing information on group chats.
“We began to see the frequency of the break-ins, and we tried to geolocate the certain areas, and we realised that our neighbourhood is being targeted by this spate of break-ins,” said Mr Lin. “So what happens is that we try to engage the community a little bit more, remind our neighbours to keep their valuables (that are) outside, lock their cars, make sure that everyone's alerted to any strangers or unfamiliar faces that come within our community.” Speaking to the media in Chong Pang on Saturday evening, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that while there is “relatively low crime” within Singapore now, people from abroad are coming in and targeting Singaporeans with different modus operandi.
“Actually, if you look at Singapore, crimes like housebreaking are not common at all. If you look at the past 10 years, there has been a decline in housebreaking cases,” he said. The emergence of foreigners coming into Singapore to target houses and working in teams "is a threat that we now have to deal with", he added.
“We have to ask all Singaporeans to be vigilant, come forward if they see anything suspicious in their neighbourhoods. We would also like to thank all those who have made police reports about these suspicious sightings,” said Mr Shanmugam. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES Residents in private residential estates should ensure that the perimeters of their homes are well-lit and secured with sturdy fencing, walls and gates to deter unauthorised access, said the police.
Any overgrown vegetation that could provide cover for potential intruders or block CCTV coverage should also be trimmed. Installing CCTVs is important as such high-resolution images have proven to be useful in solving cases, said the police. Residents should always close and lock their windows and doors when leaving the house or retiring for the night.
Large amounts of cash should not be kept at home, and valuable items, such as jewellery and important documents, should be kept in safe deposit boxes. Clementi Police Division commander and Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu highlighted the ongoing efforts by the police to engage residents, step up patrols and deploy mobile cameras and drones in the affected areas. “We urge residents to remain vigilant and enhance their home security by installing burglar alarms and CCTV cameras,” she said.
“We are heartened to see our Citizens on Patrol members engaging the residents in their neighbourhood to provide crime prevention advice to prevent, deter and detect crime. We hope more residents will sign up to be a COP member.".
