How officers from Tanglin Police Division caught three suspects in a series of Housebreaking and Theft cases, with the assistance of vigilant members of the public.
By: Mike Tan
It took three turns of the car for Mdm Lily Tan’s curiosity to be piqued.
On 9 May 2025, a cool Friday night, Mdm Tan and her 16-year-old son, Shane Lee, were out for an evening walk in their neighbourhood. Having moved into the quiet, close-knit community in Bukit Timah several months before, they’d found a warm welcome among their neighbours.
At around 8pm, Mdm Tan and Shane spotted an unfamiliar car driving down the road. “But we didn’t give it much thought,” recalled Mdm Tan.
However, they noticed that the car made a second turn back into the neighbourhood. When this happened a third time, Mdm Tan and Shane felt something was up. “That’s why we took note of the car’s licence plate number, just in case,” said Mdm Tan. “When the driver saw that we’d noticed him, he sped off.”
A Call to the Police
The next morning, Mdm Tan and Shane were surprised to receive a text from a neighbour – be careful; there’d been a case of Housebreaking and Theft reported in their neighbourhood the night before; had they seen anything suspicious?
“That’s when we called the Police,” recalled Shane, “to share the licence plate number with them.”
Swift Investigations
Between 9 and 10 May 2025, the Police were alerted to three cases of Housebreaking and Theft at residences along Cluny Park, Dunearn Close and Eng Neo Avenue.
Through extensive ground enquiries and with the aid of images from CCTVs and Police Cameras, officers from Tanglin Police Division arrested three suspects on 11 May 2025 – two at Jalan Kubor and the third at Tyrwhitt Road.
The witness accounts provided by Mdm Tan and Shane assisted in the investigation and swift arrests, all within 27 hours after the first Police report was received.
“We were very surprised at how fast the suspects had been caught,” said Shane.
Among the items recovered from the suspects – all foreign nationals – were a circular power saw, assorted jewellery and cash amounts of over S$6,000, 3,100 Euros and US$6,400. The three suspects will be charged in court on 12 May 2025 for Housebreaking and Theft with Common Intention.
Keeping a Lookout
While cases of Housebreaking have declined, members of the public are encouraged to adopt crime prevention measures, be vigilant and report suspicious activities in a timely manner. “The Police will also spare no effort to apprehend persons who enter Singapore to commit crime and will deal sternly with them in accordance with the law,” said Senior Assistant Commissioner (SAC) Cheong Chee Ming, Commander of Tanglin Police Division.
On the afternoon of 11 May 2025, SAC Cheong met with Mdm Tan and Shane at Tanglin Police Division to thank them for their public-spiritedness and present them with certificates of appreciation.
It was an unlikely Mother’s Day moment for Mdm Tan, but she was glad to share her experiences, as an example to others.
“We have a close relationship with our neighbours and will help one another in our daily lives,” she said. “In this case, we saw something odd and shared it with the Police, based on news reports and Police advisories of such cases. It’s good to be prepared and to keep a lookout.”
Explore Our Content
Editor's Pick
