17-12-2024 (SINGAPORE) Two members of a Chinese criminal syndicate were arrested after stealing jewellery worth S$570,000 from a palatial home in the affluent Windsor Park neighbourhood.
The culprits, identified as Long Zhihua, 38, and Luo Changchang, 44, admitted to scaling a metre-high fence before ransacking the property’s master bedroom, making off with 27 pieces of high-value jewellery including emerald earrings valued at S$100,000 and an exquisite diamond choker worth S$60,000.
Court proceedings revealed that the pair were part of a sophisticated Chinese crime syndicate that had dispatched at least seven operatives to Singapore since June, targeting affluent residences. The duo’s arrest is linked to a broader spate of break-ins across Singapore’s prestigious Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah districts, where stolen goods valued at S$3.85 million were reported between June and August.
The perpetrators, who had strategically booked return flights to China, demonstrated meticulous planning in their criminal enterprise. After arriving separately in mid-June, they shared accommodation at the Four Chains Hotel whilst reconnoitring potential targets.
On the evening of 21 June, they identified their mark – an unoccupied bedroom in a Good Class Bungalow along Windsor Park Road. Using basic burglary tools and torches, they managed to gain entry through a glass door whilst the victim’s elderly mother and domestic staff were present in another wing of the property.
Despite the arrests, authorities have only recovered a portion of the stolen items, with jewellery worth S$390,200 still unaccounted for. The victim, a 53-year-old woman who has remained unnamed, has since invested S$1,295 in enhanced security measures, including CCTV systems and improved locks.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu told the court that whilst the accused provided some cooperation by identifying their target property, they were less than forthcoming about their criminal associations and the whereabouts of the unrecovered items. The prosecution is seeking substantial prison terms of between five-and-a-half and six years.
The case, which has been adjourned until 16 January for sentencing, carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
