Mothership - Chinese national, 39, who allegedly stole S$570,100 of jewellery in S'pore with accomplice, missing while out on bail, arrest warrant iss

[jonesftw]

Update:

A foreign national, who was a member of a housebreaking syndicate, has jumped bail after he was charged over a burglary case where he allegedly stole more than $500,000 worth of jewellery.

Long Zhihua, 39, first failed to turn up for a court session on April 25. It was adjourned so his lawyer and the investigating officer could contact him.

He failed to turn up for another session on May 23, which led to his bail being revoked and the issuance of a warrant of arrest.

A review on Long’s warrant will be heard in court on July 4.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...reaking-case-jumps-bail-arrest-warrant-issued

The duo had originally pleaded guilty in December 2024 and were awaiting sentencing, 8world reported.

However, they later retracted their plea.

The case was re-opened and a pre-trial conference was set.

After being granted bail on Apr. 1, 2025, Long was required to appear in court for the pre-trial conference on Apr. 25.

He failed to attend, and the pre-trial conference was postponed to May 23.

Subsequent attempts to contact him were unsuccessful.

As a result, the court issued an arrest warrant.

Long had apparently become uncontactable as early as four days after he was granted bail, 8world added.

Luo is scheduled to plead guilty on Jul. 25.

He had been detained since his arrest on Jun. 28 last year.



Google translate: A 39-year-old Chinese man involved in a local private residence theft case lost contact four days after being released on bail. The National Court has issued an arrest warrant to search for his whereabouts.

The missing suspect is 39-year-old Chinese national Long Zhihua.

 

[jonesftw]

Two men from a criminal syndicate in China scaled a fence of a house along Windsor Park Road and made off with S$570,000 (US$422,000) in jewellery.

Long Zhihua, 38, and Luo Changchang, 44, were caught before they returned to China, but the authorities did not manage to recover S$390,200 in jewellery belonging to the victim, a 53-year-old woman.

Both men, who are Chinese nationals, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Dec 17) to one count each of housebreaking.

Long has an additional charge of possessing stolen items, which will be taken into consideration when he is sentenced.

According to court documents, both men are part of a criminal syndicate from China. The duo came to Singapore for the purpose of breaking into houses to steal.

Long arrived in Singapore on Jun 19 this year while Luo came two days later. Both had return tickets to China on Jun 29, and shared a room at Four Chains Hotel while here.

On the evening of Jun 21, the duo left their hotel room and went to the residential estate at Windsor Park Road in the Upper Thomson area, which comprised landed housing including Good Class Bungalows.

The pair wandered around the estate and looked at houses that they could break into.

They observed that the victim's house had no lights on and that they could climb over the wall fence, which was above 1m. They did so at about 7.40pm.

The two headed to the victim's bedroom where they pried open the glass door. Using a torchlight to find their way around, the pair then opened the wardrobe and looked through the victim's drawers.

Luo placed the jewellery they found into a white plastic bag he picked up in the room. To avoid detection, they replaced all the drawers.

The 27 pieces of jewellery they stole included earrings, hair clips, and pendants of precious stones, ranging from a small gold ring worth S$200 to a pair of emerald earrings valued at S$100,000.

There was also a diamond opal choker worth S$28,000, a diamond choker worth S$60,000, and flower-shaped hairclips with a sapphire and a ruby worth S$13,000. In total, the loot was worth S$570,000.

At the time of the theft, the victim's mother and two helpers were in another building within the same premises.

At about 8.15pm, the pair of thieves left the same way they entered.

They continued loitering in the estate searching for other houses to break into before leaving at about 9.45pm.

The victim returned home at about 11.50pm and later discovered that some jewellery she placed on a tray on top of a piano in her room was missing.

Upon further checks, she discovered other items missing and called the police. She said that there were no signs of forced entry into the house.

The authorities traced Long and Luo through closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from a neighbouring property, and both were arrested on Jun 26.

Some of the victim's jewellery in the hotel room was seized, but others with a value of S$390,200 remained unrecovered.

Other items were seized from the pair's hotel room, including a watch. The two claimed the items did not belong to them. Singapore currency worth S$9,634.60 was also found in the room.

Both have been in remand since their arrest.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu said that Long and Luo were "partially cooperative" as they identified the house they broke into and also revealed that some of the jewellery retrieved from their hotel room had come from another house in the same area.

"However, they failed to disclose the full details of how they had broken into the victim’s room, what happened to the victim’s other jewellery and did not provide information on the other valuables seized," said Ms Chu.

"They also lied about their relationship with each other, and their purpose of coming to Singapore."

As a result of the theft, the victim engaged contractors to replace the locks of the doors to her home and repair the door that had been damaged.

She also installed a CCTV system, put up a warning sign on the fencing and a light to prevent and deter thieves. The new security measures cost her S$1,295.

Ms Chu sought a sentence of between five-and-a-half years and six years, with a longer sentence for Long as he had an additional charge to be taken into consideration.

She said that both had acted under the cover of darkness and that the victim bore about S$390,000 in losses and a further S$1,200 for repairs.

"The accused persons were not forthcoming to the police about their reasons for being in Singapore, how they met up, why they were in possession of large amounts of Singapore currency and where the rest of the jewellery they had stolen went to," she added.

Sentencing has been adjourned to Jan 16.

For house-breaking, each man can be jailed up to 10 years, and fined.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sin...-570-100-jewellery-windsor-park-house-4811221

 

[woonwoonjiakbeehoon]

pls revoke 30days free visa

 

[deokiejisoo]

At the time of the theft, the victim's mother and two helpers were in another building within the same premises.

Lol house too big

 

[yokine3a]

Thanks to pap. Visa free, any tiong can come to sg. Some come for leisure, some come to steal or rob or cheat money.

 

[drkcynic]

Put rest to the notion that SG landed is safer than JB's. Long ago my friend's brother who is in CID said they do stakeout all the time because many break-ins.

Not reported in our very "partial" news nia.

 

[AuraKUPO]

Very soon will target hdb also. Better install cctv and keep your wife and daughter safe.

Now we have to give them food and free lodging in Changi. All from taxpayer's money

 

[Oxygenatedwater]

Good job spf

 

[AuraKUPO]

Thanks to pap. Visa free, any tiong can come to sg. Some come for leisure, some come to steal or rob or cheat money.

Even got visa, any tiong also can come in. They belong to syndicate, sure got money to sponsor them for visa fee

 

[yeahyeah]

If they had come earlier, they may have coincidentally broken into their money laundering compatriots' houses.
AT vs AT

 

[Avant-Garde]

song bo PAP.

give visa-free to tiong criminals.
will foreigners finally overtake sinkies in committing more crimes?

 

[DW]

Just cane and deport these *****

 

[Whimsica]

Thanks ah, LW.

 

[Laguna123]

Put rest to the notion that SG landed is safer than JB's. Long ago my friend's brother who is in CID said they do stakeout all the time because many break-ins.

Not reported in our very "partial" news nia.

What stakeout mean?

 

[spunkbrat]

Hear ridout a lot of landed houses, wonder if they know

 

[iluvchickenwing]

kaoz build 2 buildings in one address. so rich but no install cctv? wats wrong with these rich ppl?

 

[dotarian007]

wa if left earlier than huat liao

 

[shodan99]

Half million to them is small change

 

[nasfieldjohn]

However, they failed to disclose the full details of how they had broken into the victim’s room, what happened to the victim’s other jewellery and did not provide information on the other valuables seized," said Ms Chu.

Mata lousy in questioning tiong bandits

 

[LWZ]

So that's it for the unrecovered jewellery ?!