Cases of Serial Housebreakers Arrested in 2009

Case 1: Serial Housebreaker Arrested (Police News Release on 20 May 2009)

Police arrested a 35-year-old Chinese man who is believed to be involved in several cases of break-ins in Ang Mo Kio.

Since April 2009, a spate of housebreaking and theft cases were reported in the Ang Mo Kio area. The suspect would typically target flat units with window louvers that were located next to the main door. The suspect would then force open the window louvers and unlock the main door from the inside using either an object or his hand to gain entry into the unit.

Through extensive enquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division managed to establish the identity of the suspect. On the morning of 19 May 2009, the suspect was arrested at Ang Mo Kio Central. Two handphones and a watch, believed to be stolen items, were also recovered from the suspect’s possession.

Case 2: Off-Duty Police Trainee Foils Serial Housebreaker (Police News Release on 8 June 2009)

Police have arrested a 27-year-old male Chinese national believed to be responsible for a spate of break-ins in the Hougang and Sengkang housing estates. The arrest was made possible after an off-duty police trainee, who happened to be living in the area, alerted the police upon spotting the suspect behaving suspiciously at a corridor in Blk 371 Hougang Street 31.

On 6 June 2009 at about 3.17pm, Mr Arrun Kumaar s/o Marriappan, a police national serviceman trainee, spotted a male Chinese behaving suspiciously at the corridor opposite the block where he was living. He observed that the suspect appeared to be meddling with the window panel of a unit along the said corridor using a sharp object and alerted the Police immediately. Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division responded promptly and systematically cordoned off the escape routes upon arrival. A floor-to-floor search found the suspect cornered on the fourth floor. The suspect tried to escape by leaping over the parapet but was arrested by the officers standing guard at the ground level. As the suspect had injured his left leg and right elbow in his attempt to evade capture, he was thereafter conveyed to the hospital for treatment.

Follow-up investigations revealed that the suspect was believed to be responsible for a spate of break-ins in the Sengkang housing estate. Police also managed to recover cash of various currencies amounting to about $11000/- as well as jewellery and other valuables with an estimated value of about $3000/- from a hotel room in Geylang where the suspect was putting up.