Chinese national accused of S$570k jewellery theft goes missing after bail
A 39-year-old Chinese man charged with housebreaking and jewellery theft in Singapore has disappeared after being granted bail, prompting the courts to issue an arrest warrant.
- Chinese national Long Zhihua, 39, vanished days after being granted S$30,000 bail.
- He and accomplice Luo Changchang were charged over a June 2024 housebreaking at Windsor Park Road.
- Stolen jewellery worth S$390k remains missing.
- Long skipped multiple pre-trial hearings; a warrant has been issued.
- Luo remains in custody, while other syndicate-linked cases suggest wider operations by foreign burglars.
A Chinese national accused of stealing over S$570,000 worth of jewellery from a landed property in Singapore has gone missing after being granted bail, sparking a nationwide search.
The man, 39-year-old Long Zhihua, was released on bail of S$30,000 on 1 April 2025. He was due to attend a pre-trial conference on 25 April but failed to appear in court. Despite the hearing being postponed to 23 May, Long remained uncontactable. Singapore’s State Courts have since issued an arrest warrant. Reports by Chinese-language news outlet 8world indicate that Long became uncontactable just four days after posting bail.
Housebreaking at Windsor Park
Long and his alleged accomplice, Luo Changchang, are accused of breaking into a landed property along Windsor Park Road near Upper Thomson on the evening of 21 June 2024.
According to court documents, Long arrived in Singapore on 19 June and checked into a Geylang hotel. Luo joined him two days later, sharing the same room. That night, the pair scouted homes in the Windsor Park neighbourhood, settling on a house that appeared unoccupied.
At about 7.40 p.m., they allegedly climbed over the fence and forced open a glass door to the victim’s bedroom. Inside, Long removed drawers from a wardrobe containing jewellery boxes and handed them to Luo, who placed them in a plastic bag.
The valuables included earrings, hair clips and a gem-studded hair accessory. The theft went unnoticed until shortly before midnight, when the 53-year-old homeowner returned and alerted police.
Although both suspects were arrested days later and some items were recovered from their hotel room, jewellery worth an estimated S$390,200 remains missing. Investigators say the pair have refused to reveal its whereabouts.
From guilty plea to missing suspect
Long and Luo initially pleaded guilty in December 2024 and were awaiting sentencing. However, they later retracted their pleas, leading to the case being reopened and rescheduled for trial.
While Luo has remained in custody since his arrest, Long successfully applied for bail in April 2025. His failure to return to court has now escalated the case into a manhunt.
Syndicate links and related cases
Authorities believe the burglary may be linked to a wider pattern of cross-border theft operations involving foreign nationals.
In an unrelated case, another Chinese man, Wu Jinxing, 28, was sentenced in December 2024 to seven months’ jail for handling nearly S$500,000 in stolen cash and valuables. Wu had travelled to Singapore to collect the proceeds of burglaries carried out by two accomplices, who remain at large.
Current status
With the warrant issued, Long faces additional charges if caught. Luo, meanwhile, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on 25 July 2025.
Singapore police have not disclosed whether Long is believed to still be in the country, but border alerts are expected to be in place.
