Two Chinese nationals who came to Singapore as part of a tour group with the intention of committing housebreaking scaled a Buddhist temple’s perimeter wall in the early hours and used homemade tools to “fish” about $300 out of a donation box. Both were sentenced to 14 months’ jail on Wednesday (4 November).

The accused, Liao Quanwan, 50, and Liao Yongzhan, 43, each pleaded guilty to one charge of housebreaking to commit theft and another of attempted housebreaking to commit theft.

The court heard that the two men met in China and became friends. Believing Singapore to be affluent, they agreed in March this year to join a tour group to gamble here and take the opportunity to commit theft.

Before entering Singapore, they prepared “money-fishing tools” made from thin string and adhesive tape. They intended to lower the tape-tipped string through the slot of a donation box, stick it to banknotes inside and pull them out. After arriving and scouting for targets, they settled on the Burmese Buddhist Temple in Tai Gin Road in the Balestier area.

Between about 1.15am and 4.30am on 2 April this year, the pair climbed over the temple’s perimeter wall and used their homemade tools to extract about $300 in cash from the donation box.

During the theft, a monk who happened to be passing by to fetch water caught them in the act and shouted at them to stop. Realising they had been discovered, the two men fled, climbing back over the wall.

After leaving the temple, they threw their tools into a roadside drain and took a taxi back to their hotel to pack. They then headed straight to Changi Airport, rebooked themselves on an earlier flight and fled to China.

They spent the stolen money on air tickets back to China, food and cigarettes. They have made no restitution.

Pair returned to Singapore after first successful theft

After returning to China, the pair planned another trip to Singapore to commit more offences, but were arrested on arrival.

The court heard that, after successfully carrying out the first theft and fleeing to China, the men decided in August this year to return to Singapore to gamble and look for another target for housebreaking.

On 17 August, they flew from China to Changi Airport, where police arrested them at the checkpoint. They have been remanded in custody since.