Singapore – The property near MacRitchie Reservoir targeted by the balaclava-wearing intruder was not the only property to be broken into, with police revealing that a similar incident had taken place several days earlier.

February 21st,

A man broke into a house on Marigold Drive.

However, the crew left when they screamed. Police said another incident occurred a few days ago.

“At around 7:50pm on February 17, police received a call for help at a residential complex along Taman Permata.

“Preliminary investigation has revealed that an individual is suspected of entering a residential property without permission and leaving before police arrive,” the spokesperson said, adding that a hunt for the suspect is underway.

The two houses are approximately 4 minutes away by car. It is located off Upper Thomson Road and next to the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

Amanda (not her real name), who has lived in her home on Marigold Drive for 40 years, said the balaclava-wearing intruder was brazen when she entered the house because there were obvious signs that someone was inside.

Speaking to The Straits Times from his home on February 23, he said some of the lights in the high-rise residential building facing the forest area of ​​Central Catchment Conservation Area were on at the time.

she said her female tenantThe intruder was discovered by a man who rented a room on the first floor at the front of the house.

Amanda, who was on the second floor with her helper at the time, said she heard screams from the resident around 9:30 p.m.

She hurried down and found the resident pointing to the back of the house, which led to the woods. The back door was ajar and showed signs of tampering.

Amanda said the man was wearing a black balaclava, hat, long-sleeved shirt and pants, and did not receive anything from the home.

“They are becoming very bold. We often hear about robbers targeting vacant houses to avoid homeowners. But even though the lights were on in my house, he still decided to target us,” she added.

Later that night, five Special Operations Command police vehicles were spotted on Upper Thomson Road, but no intruders were found.

Amanda said she had read reports of similar incidents in the past two years, but was shocked that it happened to her at 9.30pm, when many of her neighbors were still awake.

Her home is one of about 11 on Marigold Drive, bordering woodland in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

She said police told her there was another incident earlier. Some of the houses in Taman Permata are adjacent to the same dense forest area.

The incident is a mirror

By 2024, there will be a series of break-ins into land and buildings.

including an incident on nearby Windsor Park Road.

Two Chinese people steal $570,000 worth of jewelry

.

Police received a total of 10 reports of land robberies at houses near the railway corridor, Bukit Timah Road and Windsor Park Road between June 2024 and August 2024.

As a result of the investigation, three men were arrested and another 14 people who had left Singapore by then were identified. They were all Chinese nationals.

Amanda said she has been negotiating with a security company to install cameras at her home since the incident.

“They would go to my neighbor’s house and do the same thing,” she said, adding that her neighbor had created a group chat for people living in the area.

“This appears to be a strategy used repeatedly by criminals, and police appear to know this is a clear pattern.

“In fact, there’s no point in patrolling the front of the house. They should be patrolling the back of the house or putting police cameras in the area,” Amanda added.

Michael Ho, who has lived on the property for more than 30 years, said two men tried to break into his home more than 30 years ago, but were thwarted by his dog and helper.

“The thieves are targeting houses close to the reservoir side. We are a little worried, but we have already installed cameras and motion sensor lights as a precaution.

“I am also buying motion-sensing lights for my neighbor. She lives there with her husband and is very worried,” said Ho, 78.

Another neighbor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he learned of the break-in only after police spoke to residents.

“I’ve lived here for 35 years and it’s always been a very safe and peaceful area.

“There are no plans to increase security. The neighbors are all very nice and friendly, so I’m sure they would help each other if there was a real emergency,” she said.

An investigation into the 2024 incident revealed that a foreign syndicate carried out sophisticated operations to target homes, with one group breaking into homes and leaving stolen items in a wooded area for a second group to retrieve later.

Police have since stepped up deterrence measures in the affected areas and were considering deploying more cameras, including on private property.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to remove tenant details at the tenant’s request.