A 39-year-old cleaner who broke into a unit at a private estate in which he was working in was made to answer for his crime when various parties in the estate worked in unison to secure his arrest.

On 20 Jan 2010 at about 1.00 pm , while a 37-year-old woman was outside her unit, she spotted the suspect, who was working as a cleaner in the estate, carrying a bag and behaving suspiciously outside her neighbour’s unit. Feeling that something was not quite right, she followed the suspect and noticed the suspect placing the bag into a plastic rubbish bin. The woman then alerted another neighbour who reported the matter to the estate manager.

Officers from Clementi Police Division arrived within minutes of notification to arrest the unsuspecting cleaner without incident. The bag which was earlier discarded by the suspect was recovered and found to contain branded watches, handbags, an assortment of jewellery, and coins amounting to about S$100.

The suspect will be charged in Court on 22 Jan 2010 for Housebreaking and Theft by Day, which carries a maximum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Commander of Clementi Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Ng Yeow Boon, commended the neighbours and the supervisor for their public-spiritedness and said, "This is a classic example of how community vigilance can help fight crime. Low crime does not mean no crime and a strong Police-community partnership is essential to keeping our neighbourhoods safe."