A 29-year-old woman was arrested on Monday night for allegedly breaking into a house in Li Hwan Close, near Lorong Chuan, earlier the same day.

Cash and jewellery worth around $9,000 in total were missing from the house, said the police.

The 44-year-old house owner, an engineer, reported the case at about 5pm on Monday.

The owner, who declined to be named, told The Straits Times that his family's domestic helper had seen the alleged perpetrator as she left but did not stop her.

The Straits Times understands that the incident happened before noon, when most of the house's occupants were out, and that the suspect had formerly worked as a maid for the family.

Following investigations by police officers from the Ang Mo Kio Division, the suspect was arrested near Jalan Tanjung in Tanah Merah at about 8.30pm on Monday.

The police believe the suspect entered the victim's home through an unsecured rear gate.

Said the home owner: "I've been reminding my family members to remain vigilant and keep the doors locked (since the incident)."

He declined to comment further.

If found guilty, the suspect could be jailed for up to 10 years.

The police urged property owners to adopt crime prevention measures such as ensuring that all doors, windows and openings are secured with grilles and padlocks.

Owners can also install a burglar alarm or closed-circuit surveillance camera, and keep large sums of cash in banks rather than at home.