Two men arrested after burglaries in landed homes in Buona Vista and Holland areas
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Police recovered two watches worth about $8,950 in total, a branded pouch worth about $5,000, about $3,570 in cash and an assortment of jewellery.
ST PHOTOS: SHINTARO TAY
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SINGAPORE - Foreign criminals have continued to target landed properties in Singapore, with two homes around the Holland area burgled and victims losing cash, jewellery and branded goods.
The police said they arrested two Chinese nationals on Dec 18 after receiving reports of housebreaking and theft at a property in Greenleaf View in Holland and another in Zehnder Road in Buona Vista.
At a press conference on Dec 19, the police said officers identified two male suspects after studying footage from security cameras in the area.
The suspects – Chinese nationals aged 38 and 52 – were traced to a hotel in Joo Chiat. They were arrested at around 6pm, about six hours after the first report was made at 12.10pm on Dec 18.
The police recovered two watches worth about $8,800 in total, a branded pouch worth about $5,000, about $3,570 in cash and an assortment of jewellery.
Both men are expected to be charged on Dec 20 with housebreaking and theft.
The police said the case at Greenleaf View happened at around 9pm on Dec 16 while the owners were away.
The victims reported the incident on Dec 18.
The Zehnder Road home was burgled during the day on Dec 18, the police said.
They added that both homes did not have burglar alarms, although the house in Greenleaf View had security cameras that aided police investigations.
The doors and gates of the homes were locked at the time, the police said.
The suspects are believed to have gained access to the properties by scaling the walls and fences and climbing in through the unlocked windows.
The police said they have stepped up measures to prevent and deter housebreaking and theft at private residential areas since June.
These include employing additional police cameras, frequent police patrols and engagement with residents of private residential estates.
The suspects’ attires are pictured here.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Speaking to the media, Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu urged the public to be vigilant, especially during the year-end travel season.
She said: “The police would like to highlight that a vigilant community is the best deterrence. Residents should continue to look out for and report persons loitering suspiciously in the neighbourhood.
“It is with the community’s strong support that Singapore can continue to be one of the safest places in the world.”
She added that investigations into the two cases are under way and there are no current indications that others were involved in the crimes.
However, the police have not ruled out the possibility that the two suspects are linked to the housebreaking syndicates that were active in Singapore in mid-2024.
It was previously reported that international criminal syndicates had been breaking into landed properties here, stealing some $3.85 million from at least 10 homes from June to August.
The gangs had largely targeted homes in the vicinity of the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road, but at least one house in Windsor Park Road, in the Upper Thomson area, was also burgled.
In relation to those cases, the police arrested three Chinese nationals and sought information on another 14 who had left Singapore.
Those convicted of housebreaking and theft may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
