Man jailed for housebreaking and theft

[Cao Ren]

Man jailed for housebreaking and theft
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 27 July 2011 1756 hrs

SINGAPORE: A 39-year-old contractor was jailed six years on Wednesday for breaking into newly-completed flats over a four-year period and stealing cash and valuables worth S$43,946.

Tan Zhen Kwang, a Malaysian national, faced 35 charges of housebreaking and theft and pleaded guilty to five of them.

The remaining 30 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The series of break-ins took place from 2007 to April 5 this year, at various residential areas, including the Punggol and Compassvale areas.

Tan had been involved in carrying out on-site visits to HDB blocks to fix cables there.

Investigations revealed that he would target units to break into then return later after work to break into them. Tan managed to unlock numbered padlocks and bicycle chains that had been used to secure the main gates.

Items stolen included handbags, electronics and an air purifier. The total value of the items recovered amounted to about S$7,185.

Tan could have been jailed up to 14 years and fined.

-CNA/ac

 

[Nobunaga Oda]

Jul 27, 2011

Burglar jailed 6 years for breaking into 35 flats

By Khushwant Singh

The total value of items stolen by Tan Zhen Kwang amounted to nearly $44,000. He pleaded guilty and was jailed for six years on July 27. -- PHOTO: SPF

A MALAYSIAN, working as a technician here, broke into 35 flats between September 2007 and April 2011, by picking the number locks on their main gates.

The total value of items stolen by Tan Zhen Kwang amounted to nearly $44,000. He pleaded guilty and was jailed for six years on July 27.

The district court heard that as an employee of Alpha Media, the 39-year-old would make site visits as well as install cables in housing board estates.

He would keep an eye out for flats undergoing renovations as owners would usually lock the main gate to the flat with a bicycle chain with a number lock.

This is to allow contractors and renovators to enter the premises without keys.

However, Tan admitted to police that he knew that many people typically use the numbers two to eight and it would take him only a few tries to pick the lock.

He would then enter the premises and help himself to what valuables and appliances he could cart off.