- Wu Jinxing, a 27-year-old from China, was charged with dishonestly retaining stolen property with a total value of more than S$250,000
- On August 2, he was taken by the police back to the site of his arrest along the Rail Corridor off Holland Road
- The police took Wu to two sites near the Bukit Sedap area where some of the other loot had been found at the time of his arrest
- This case will return to court on August 5
SINGAPORE, Aug 3 — A 27-year-old man believed to be part of a foreign syndicate linked to housebreaking was yesterday taken back to a site along the Rail Corridor where on July 27 he had been arrested and allegedly stolen goods were found.
Wu Jinxing from China was charged on Monday with dishonestly retaining stolen property with a total value of more than S$250,000 (RM847,945).
Among the items allegedly found in his possession at a hotel room in Geylang were a Hermes Birkin handbag valued at S$75,000, cash in numerous currencies and three luxury watches.
Wu was arrested on July 27 near a residential area on Bukit Sedap Road off Holland Road, close to the Rail Corridor, after an alleged victim filed a police report.
Wu is believed to be the runner for a syndicate linked to at least one recent house break-in in the area, and was believed to be retrieving the stolen loot the day he was arrested.
The day after his arrest, at about 12.40am on July 28, Wu led the authorities to the hotel room in Geylang, where a separate batch of valuables was found.
Yesterday, he went with police to the site of his arrest, where some of the alleged loot had previously been found around a banana tree.
He later also went with officers to a forested area along the Rail Corridor, a short walk away, where more loot had been found.
Police investigations are ongoing.
If convicted of retaining stolen property, Wu could be jailed for up to five years or fined or both.
He will return to court on August 5.
Residents say they are on ‘high alert’
Speaking to TODAY on Thursday, residents living near the incident site said that they have been on “high alert” since learning about house break-ins in the area.
A resident in her 50s, who lives in the Holland Green area and did not wish to be named, said that residents are concerned about the neighbourhood’s safety.
“Everyone is on high alert right now. We always thought this area was a pretty safe area, but I guess safe has its own definitions. Safe is what you create,” she said.
On Wednesday, she had reported a “grey-ish” car to the police after noticing that the driver, a man, had parked the car outside her property under a tree and was looking into her house.
“When you walk on the road, for residents you kind of know where they park their cars,” she said.
“But this person was parked outside and he was looking into our home, so that kind of got us a little concerned.”
She added that there has been an increased police presence in the area with more police cars patrolling the neighbourhood.
The woman said she is thinking of upgrading her security system.
“I think a lot of homes that didn’t have video surveillance have got that fixed. If they already have video cameras, they might be putting up additional light or movement sensors and if anyone sees anything, we’re letting each other and the police know about it.”
Another resident who also declined to be named has been following the house-breaking incidents through a community WhatsApp group. He mentioned that residents have become “more suspicious and alert”, with many also installing security alarms and cameras.
He added that while the police have distributed advisories to the affected areas, they could have extended the scope of their efforts. He said that his neighbourhood, located just “two streets away” from the break-ins, did not receive any advisories.
A police advisory seen by TODAY stated that the “perpetrators targeted homes with low perimeter walls, unlocked doors and windows that had been left open”.
It also advised homeowners of measures to safeguard their houses such as installing fences to prevent unauthorised access and installing cameras at strategic locations.
The resident added: “All these streets are next to each other and in this landed area, you have private-hire drivers, pool maintenance guys or gardeners who come by and don’t live here.
“I think (the police) need to inform as many people as possible, not for me to learn about it through a community group chat,” he said. — TODAY
