Singapore! theft, burglary, vice-related activities, prostitution, island-wide multi-agency enforcement blitz 2024.12.13-12.21

Two Chinese nationals linked to a syndicate entered Singapore on Nov 5 with the intention to buy luxury goods with stolen credit card information, but backed out.

Li Xueqi and Xu Zhaochen, both 36, obtained images of fake passports to be used as proof of identity during the purchases. They also met two alleged accomplices – fellow Chinese nationals Zhao Yongzhi, 28, and Zhang Tianyu, 29 – in Singapore.

After learning about the specifics of the plan, Xu backed out, followed by Li. All four men were eventually arrested.

On Dec 20, Li, who had roped in Xu to take part in the scheme, was sentenced to 15 weeks’ jail, while Xu was given eight weeks’ jail.

Both pleaded guilty to one count each of being part of a criminal conspiracy by agreeing with others to commit cheating by personation.

The cases involving Zhao and Zhang are pending.

District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan said that the predominant sentencing consideration in cases involving syndicated transnational credit card fraud is deterrence.

“Such offences harm not only the owners of the credit cards which were illegally used, but also consume valuable time and resources of local retailers and authorities to address the downstream implications of these fraudulent purchases,” he said.

“Over time, they can… damage Singapore’s standing both as a financial hub as well as a preferred centre of commerce.”

Investigations revealed that the scheme involved the use of a mobile application that could be remotely filled with other people’s credit card details. Some of these details had been unlawfully obtained through phishing.

The court heard that Li was in China when he received a message from someone named Huihuang, who told him that he could earn money by buying luxury goods, such as iPhones, in Singapore using other people’s credit card details.

On Nov 4, Li contacted Xu, his former classmate, who agreed to join him in the scheme.

Li then sent photographs of himself and Xu to Huihuang for fake Japanese identification documents.

Li and Xu arrived in Singapore the next day, on Nov 5. Huihuang then sent Li images of the fake Japanese passports.

According to court documents, Zhao and Zhang later explained to Li and Xu that the plan involved the use of a specific mobile phone to make payments.

Someone would call the person buying the items to tell him what to do.

The purchaser would then use the given phone to make contactless payments. He could also use the image of the fake passport as proof of identity, the court heard.

Xu later decided to back out, but Li was still interested in being part of the scheme at the time.

On Nov 6, Li met Zhao at a store selling Apple products at Marina Bay Sands. Court documents stated that Zhao then demonstrated how to carry out the plan.

However, Li became worried that he would be caught and left the store. He then told Zhao that he did not want to continue with the scheme.

All four Chinese nationals were arrested and charged in court.

On Dec 20, defence lawyer K. Keerthana pleaded for Li to be given eight weeks’ jail. She also asked the court to sentence Xu to six weeks’ jail.

She told Judge Koo that her clients had voluntarily refused to take part in the cheating offences.

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来新参与盗刷信用卡犯罪活动 两中国籍男子临阵退缩仍被判监　

听说新加坡有“赚钱”机会后，两名中国籍男子特地飞来狮城，他们从犯罪团伙手上取得日本假护照，接着准备盗用信用卡资料来购买名贵商品，但两人临阵退缩，放弃干案。

来自中国的被告徐照晨（36岁）和李学齐（36岁），各面对一项串谋假冒他人身份行骗的控状，他们星期五（12月20日）在国家法院认罪后，分别被判坐牢八周和15周。

顾至轩法官下判时指出，虽然两名被告最终放弃参与违法勾当，但他们都答应犯案，并为此特地飞来新加坡，其中一人也跟随和目睹另一同党盗刷信用卡买手机，无法说他没有造成任何伤害。而且，法庭必须对这类罪案给予严惩，以阻遏有意前来新加坡犯罪的不法分子。

警方在今年11月侦破外国诈骗团伙入境新加坡盗刷信用卡的案件，逮捕五名外国罪犯，其中两人便是徐照晨和李学齐。

根据徐照晨和李学齐所承认的案情，两人是高中旧同学。今年11月4日，李学齐告诉徐照晨，他从一名叫“辉煌”的男子得知，可以来新加坡盗用别人的信用卡购买名贵物品，以此方式“赚钱”。徐照晨考虑后，决定和李学齐一起参与勾当。两人把各自的人头照发给辉煌，让对方为他们制作假的日本护照证件。

隔天，徐照晨和李学齐飞抵新加坡，并且收到辉煌发来的假证件照片。接着，两人按照指示，与另外两名男子张天宇和赵永志见面，由后者解释如何执行盗刷信用卡的犯罪计划，包括他们在犯案时必须使用犯罪团伙所提供的手机，以及向商家出示假证件照片。

徐照晨在了解计划后，决定放弃参与勾当。但李学齐仍想铤而走险，他在11月6日跟随赵永志前去滨海湾金沙一家商店，由赵永志向他“示范”，如何以盗刷信用卡的手段买到苹果手机。接着，两人去到另一家商店，这一次赵永志得花上更长的时间才完成付款。之后，李学齐告诉赵永志，他决定不犯案，因为他担心会被逮着。

徐照晨和李学齐分别在11月6日和7日被警方逮捕。张天宇和赵永志也已经落网并被控上法庭，两人的案件仍在审理中。

One of the two foreign criminals who allegedly burgled landed properties in Singapore this week said in court that he wants to plead guilty.

On Dec 20, Chinese nationals Feng Yunlong, 38, and Zhang Yongxiang, 52, were each handed one charge of house-breaking in order to commit theft.

They are said to have entered a property in Greenleaf View in Holland on Dec 16 at about 9pm by pushing open a sliding window.

According to charge sheets, the duo stole one Cartier Roadster watch valued at $8,800 and a Casio Edifice watch worth $150.

Feng was charged via video-link from Central Police Division. Speaking through a Mandarin interpreter, Feng said he wants to plead guilty and will not be engaging a lawyer.

A police prosecutor applied for Feng to be remanded for one more week to bring him out for investigations and scene visits.

Feng asked, “So this means I’ll be here for one more week, right?”, to which the interpreter said “yes”.

According to court records, Zhang is currently at Changi General Hospital and will be remanded at the Central Police Division upon his discharge. The court records did not explain why he was in hospital.

The two cases will be heard again on Dec 27.

At a press conference on Dec 19, police said the case at Greenleaf View happened while the owners were away. The victims reported the incident on Dec 18, two days after the burglary.

The two suspects have been linked to another report of housebreaking and theft at a property in Zehnder Road in Buona Vista, which was burgled during the day on Dec 18, said the police.

Police officers identified the two suspects after studying footage from security cameras in the area.

They were traced to a hotel in Joo Chiat and arrested at around 6pm, about six hours after the first police report was made on Dec 18.

The police recovered two watches worth about $8,800 in total, a branded pouch worth about $5,000, about $3,570 in cash and an assortment of jewellery.

According to the police, both landed properties did not have burglar alarms, although the house in Greenleaf View had security cameras that aided police investigations.

The doors and gates of the homes were locked at the time, the police said.

The suspects are believed to have gained access to the properties by scaling the walls and fences and climbing in through the unlocked windows.

The police have stepped up measures to prevent and deter housebreaking and theft at private residential areas since June.

These include employing additional police cameras, frequent police patrols and engagement with residents of private residential estates.

The police have not ruled out the possibility that Zhang and Feng are linked to the housebreaking syndicates that were active in Singapore in mid-2024.

It was previously reported that international criminal syndicates had been breaking into landed properties here, stealing some $3.85 million from at least 10 homes from June to August.

The gangs had largely targeted homes in the vicinity of the Rail Corridor and Bukit Timah Road, but at least one house in Windsor Park Road, in the Upper Thomson area, was also burgled.

In relation to those cases, the police arrested three Chinese nationals and sought information on another 14 who had left Singapore.

Those convicted of housebreaking in order to commit theft may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

A Chinese national was offered a 30,000 yuan (S$5,600) reward if he came to Singapore to retrieve nearly $500,000 in cash and valuables that two burglars had earlier stolen.

Food deliveryman Wu Jinxing, 28, who earned around 200 yuan a day, accepted the offer and arrived in Singapore on July 27.

He then went to a forested area near Buona Vista MRT station to retrieve an orange Hermes Birkin bag worth around $45,000 which contained some of the loot.

He was arrested soon after and was charged in court on July 29.

On Dec 16, Wu, whose offence was linked to a syndicate, was sentenced to seven months’ jail. He had pleaded guilty to one count of handling the benefits of criminal conduct.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Janessa Phua said the two burglars – Wu Jianxin, 30, and Huang Ziqian, 35 – who are also Chinese nationals, are still at large.

Details about the houses they targeted were redacted from court documents.

According to the documents, the pair broke into one of the houses in July to steal the orange Birkin bag, cash in different currencies, and three luxury watches, each worth up to $165,000.

They hid their loot at the Rail Corridor.

They also went to other houses to steal jewellery, cash and 12 more Hermes bags.

They hid these items behind properties in Bukit Sedap Road, near Holland Road.

The court heard that Wu Jianxin and Wu Jinxing have known each other for 12 years.

At 2.30am on July 27, Wu Jianxin contacted the younger man and asked if he could fly to Singapore immediately for a one-day trip to collect a bag and a watch on his behalf.

Wu Jianxin, who offered him 30,000 yuan as a reward, also promised to settle the latter’s travel expenses.

Wu Jinxing agreed to be part of the plan despite knowing that it involved illegal activities. He arrived in Singapore at around noon that day and took a train to Buona Vista MRT station, as instructed by Wu Jianxin.

The DPP said: “(Wu Jinxing) walked down a bicycle route along the Rail Corridor… followed the instructions of Wu Jianxin to climb up a thick vegetation slope and to search for a spot underneath a tree. Wu Jianxin had given these instructions to the accused… via video call.”

Wu Jinxing found the orange Birkin bag hidden underneath some pipes and leaves, and took it.

He then took a taxi to a Geylang hotel and checked into a room at 7pm. With Wu Jianxin observing him through a video call, Wu Jinxing emptied the contents of the bag onto a bed.

Meanwhile, police were alerted on July 27 about the case and officers went to Bukit Sedap Road to recover the other stolen items.

Court documents did not disclose how the authorities knew about the location of the remaining loot.

Still taking instructions from Wu Jianxin, an unsuspecting Wu Jinxing went to Bukit Sedap Road to retrieve the valuables and officers in the vicinity arrested him at 9.40pm.

The officers took him back to his hotel room, where they found the orange Birkin bag and its contents.

On Dec 16, DPP Phua urged the court to sentence Wu Jinxing to between eight and nine months’ jail, adding: “The accused’s offence facilitated the criminal activities of a syndicate… There was a transnational element to the accused’s offence.”

For handling the benefits of criminal conduct, Wu could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000.