Man gets jail for burgling homes on first Singapore visit after finding it ‘rich’

Huang forced open a sliding door at the rear balcony to enter. Once inside, he searched for valuables, finding jewellery in a glass display cabinet in the living room and other items in a wardrobe in the master bedroom.

He stole items with an estimated total value of S$58,000, including a Chanel watch, five rings and a gold necklace.

The theft was discovered on Dec 8, 2025. A housekeeper saw footprints on the floor, that the sofa had been moved and that the glass cabinet was empty.

Court documents also detailed a separate break-in involving a home in Serangoon.

At about 8pm on Dec 7, 2025, Huang climbed over a metal gate to enter the house, which was in total darkness and appeared to be unoccupied.

He found jewellery from a makeup table in a bedroom and stole items worth around S$47,750, including two Tiffany & Co wedding rings, diamond earrings and gold necklaces.

The owner of the items returned home at about 8.40pm and found her dressing table in a mess and some items missing. Her husband called the police.

Huang then trespassed into another house by climbing over a metal gate. This time, however, he was spotted by a domestic helper who asked what he was doing there.

He responded in Mandarin, which she did not understand. He then climbed back over the gate and left.

Huang subsequently returned to his hotel in Little India before moving to Harbour Ville Hotel at Kampong Bahru Road on Dec 8.

Police traced him to the hotel and arrested him that evening.

Items linked to the offences, with an estimated combined value of S$105,750, were found in his possession and seized. 

The prosecution sought 45 to 49 months’ jail, while the defence urged the court to jail Huang for 30 months. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yohanes Ng said Huang had specifically scouted for residential properties that he believed were unoccupied and could be burgled. He also described the offending as transnational in nature, noting that Huang committed his first offence just a day after arriving in Singapore.

Lawyer Don Tan described his client’s offences as “amateurish” and distinguished Huang’s case from those involving offenders who travelled to Singapore with the intention of committing housebreaking.

He also pointed out that the losses were minimal as the stolen items had been recovered.

For house-breaking, Huang could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined.