4 Held in Bt Timah Police Op Believed to Be Linked to Break-Ins

The four from China have been charged with possessing housebreaking tools

- Isabelle Liew

Four men who were arrested after a police search operation last week in Bukit Timah are believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates involving Chinese nationals.

The four were charged on Aug 10. Zhuo Yinggui, 36; Yang Chao, 41; Zhou Qifa, 36; and He Jiao, 38, all Chinese nationals, were each handed one charge for possessing housebreaking tools.

According to court documents, they were allegedly found on Aug 8 at the Rail Corridor near the Greenleaf estate with two black balaclavas, three screwdrivers bent at the tips, three pairs of gloves, two wrenches and a torchlight.

If convicted, they could be jailed for up to two years and fined.

A police operation near the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road was being conducted on Aug 8 when the four men were spotted behaving suspiciously in a park. They fled into a forested area after being approached by the police.

The police said on Aug 10 that they were conducting an operation against housebreaking as housebreakers would typically exploit the forested areas along the Rail Corridor to conceal their movements as they attempt to break into homes.