SINGAPORE, Dec 17 — A Chinese national who came to Singapore to retrieve nearly S$500,000 (RM1.65 million) in cash and valuables stolen by burglars was sentenced to seven months’ jail yesterday.

According to The Straits Times, food deliveryman Wu Jinxing, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of handling the benefits of criminal conduct. The court heard that he had knowingly participated in a plan linked to a syndicate.

Wu was promised a reward of 30,000 yuan by an accomplice, Wu Jianxin, 30, to recover stolen items, including an orange Hermès Birkin bag worth around S$45,000.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Janessa Phua told the court that burglars Wu Jianxin and Huang Ziqian, 35, had broken into a house in July to steal the luxury bag, cash in various currencies, and three watches valued at up to S$165,000 each. They hid their loot at the Rail Corridor and other locations near Bukit Sedap Road.

On July 27, Wu Jianxin contacted his long-time friend, Wu Jinxing, and asked him to fly to Singapore on a one-day trip to collect the stolen items.

Wu, who earned around 200 yuan a day as a food delivery rider, accepted the offer despite knowing the plan was illegal.

Wu arrived in Singapore at noon and followed instructions delivered via video call.

"(Wu) walked down a bicycle route along the Rail Corridor... climbed up a thick vegetation slope... and searched for a spot underneath a tree,” DPP Phua was quoted as saying.

There, he found the hidden Birkin bag containing some of the stolen goods.

Wu later checked into a Geylang hotel and emptied the bag’s contents while Wu Jianxin observed via video call.

Unbeknown to Wu, the police had been alerted to the theft. Officers recovered other stolen items near Bukit Sedap Road and set up surveillance in the area.

At around 9.40pm, Wu was arrested after arriving at the Bukit Sedap location to retrieve additional valuables. Police then escorted him to his hotel, where they recovered the Hermès bag and its contents.

Court documents did not disclose how the police discovered the stash.

The Straits Times added that DPP Phua urged the court to impose a sentence of eight to nine months, highlighting the syndicate’s transnational element.

"The accused’s offence facilitated the criminal activities of a syndicate,” she said.

Wu Jianxin and Huang Ziqian remain at large.

For handling the benefits of criminal conduct, Wu could have faced up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to S$500,000.