Singapore jails foreign trio over $504,500 home burglary

Three foreign nationals from Colombia, Mexico, and Mexico-Colombia have been jailed in Singapore for a $504,500 home burglary. Hernando Giraldo Franco, age 62, received a six-year and eight-month sentence; Garcia Iglesias Hector Daniel, 53, and Garces Murillo Mateo Andres, 49, each served seven years and four months. All three pleaded guilty to charges of theft, housebreaking, and concealing criminal gains.

Each man faced four charges, with the remaining taken into account during sentencing. The trio arrived in Singapore for the first time in April or May 2025 and planned to break into landed homes. On May 9, 2025, they targeted an unlit house on Dunearn Close in Bukit Timah. Hernando waited in a parked car while Garcia and Garces climbed over a wall and entered the compound via a window.

They stole gold coins, jewelry, diamond rings, luxury watches, and cash. The men then drove to a hotel where Garcia was staying, dividing the cash and hiding the rest in a ceiling. The following night, they broke into another house on Eng Neo Avenue. Garcia and Garces fled when they heard noises but returned later and entered through an open sliding door.

They attempted to break open a safe on the second floor but found nothing of value. The trio was arrested near their hotel the next day, and police recovered stolen items from the first burglary. The men faced up to 10 years in prison and fines for their offenses. Singapore was ranked the world's safest country by Gallup's 2025 Global Safety Report, with 98% of residents feeling safe walking alone at night.