Singapore jails Chinese tourist who broke into luxury properties just days after arriving

Huang Xiaozong, a 41-year-old Chinese tourist, was jailed in Singapore for breaking into luxury properties just days after arriving. On December 5, 2025, he checked into a hotel in Little India and began researching affluent neighborhoods. On December 6, he targeted a suite at the Capella Singapore, taking jewelry and watches worth $82,600.

The theft went undetected until December 8 when a housekeeper discovered missing items. Just three days earlier, on December 3, Huang broke into a house in Serangoon Gardens, stealing $37,300 worth of jewelry from a bedroom dressing table. On the same night, he attempted to enter another house in the estate but was spotted by a domestic helper and fled.

He returned to Little India before being arrested in Little India on December 8. Huang pleaded guilty to two counts of housebreaking and one count of criminal trespass. The prosecutor sought a 45 to 49-month jail term, citing Huang's premeditation. The defense argued the offenses were amateurish and that the victims' losses were limited due to recovered items.

Singapore's police noted an increase in break-ins at landed properties near major roads, believed to be carried out by foreign syndicates.