Four Chinese nationals charged with possessing housebreaking tools after police manhunt along Rail Corridor

Four Chinese nationals have been charged in Singapore with possessing housebreaking tools, following a large-scale police operation that unfolded along the Rail Corridor in Bukit Timah earlier this month.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said the men — identified as He Jiao, 38; Zhou Qifa, 36; Yang Chao, 41; and Zhou Yinggui, 36 — were charged on 10 August 2025. All four are from Guizhou province in China.

They entered Singapore on social visit passes on 8 August, reportedly travelling from Malaysia through the Woodlands Checkpoint. For three of the men, this was not their first visit to Singapore, police said.

According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Serene Chiu, commander of the Clementi Police Division, the men are suspected to have links to other housebreaking cases reported between April and July this year.

The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation in forested areas near the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road, locations known to be used by suspects seeking to conceal movement during burglary attempts.

The operation involved several police units, including the Clementi Police Division, Police Operations Command Centre, Police Intelligence Department, Special Operations Command, Gurkha Contingent, and the Home Team Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Command.

Two suspects were arrested on 8 August in the Rail Corridor area, while a third was detained later that evening at a mall in Clementi. The fourth suspect was apprehended the following morning at a hotel in Geylang.

Police seized a range of housebreaking tools, including screwdrivers and spanners, as well as clothing and more than S$400 (US$296) in cash. Officers confirmed that the money was believed to belong to the suspects themselves, with no evidence of other offences prior to their arrests.

All four suspects have been remanded, and police have been granted permission to take them out for investigative purposes. If convicted, they could face fines and imprisonment of up to two years.

The arrests come amid a rise in housebreaking incidents in private residential areas near Bukit Timah and the Rail Corridor. Between June and August 2024, police recorded ten such cases, with stolen goods valued at approximately S$3.85 million.

Earlier in April 2024, three additional housebreaking cases were reported in the same area. In one, no property was taken, while in the other two, valuables worth around S$60,000 were stolen.

Assistant Commissioner Chiu said that the timing and location of the four men’s arrival — all converging at the Rail Corridor on the same day from different directions — suggested possible coordination.

“Such convergence behaviour typically indicates premeditated movement and planning,” she said, noting that investigations are ongoing to determine whether the suspects are connected to known foreign syndicates.

The SPF has intensified preventive measures in response to the spate of incidents, including the installation of additional police cameras, stepped-up patrols, and engagement efforts with residents in affected areas.

Residents have been urged to install closed-circuit television and alarm systems in their homes, and to report any suspicious persons or activity to the police immediately.

In a statement, the SPF emphasised its commitment to maintaining safety and security across Singapore. “The police will spare no effort to apprehend offenders and deal with them to the fullest extent of the law,” it said.

The case remains under active investigation.