An unemployed man was charged in court on Wednesday with snatching an elderly woman's gold chain and pendant.

Kamis Basir, 44, is alleged to have used criminal force by forcefully snatching 67-year-old Oh Ah Tio's $800 gold chain at a common corridor of a block of flats in Jurong West Street 42 on Dec 31. He was remanded for a week for further investigation.

A police statement said that the suspect is believed to be involved in multiple cases of snatch theft involving elderly women in Jurong West, Jurong East and Boon Lay housing estates. Since mid-December, police have received five cases where victims had their gold necklaces snatched from them.

If convicted, he could be jailed for between one and seven years and caned.