A Chinese national accused of stealing over S$570,000 worth of jewellery in Singapore has gone missing after being granted bail.
The 39-year-old, Long Zhihua, was released on bail of S$30,000 but became uncontactable just days after his release.
According to 8world, Singapore’s State Courts have issued an arrest warrant for Long after his disappearance. Authorities are now actively searching for him.
Long, together with his alleged accomplice Luo Changchang, was charged in connection with a housebreaking incident that took place on 21 June 2024.
The two men allegedly targeted a landed property along Windsor Park Road near Upper Thomson Road.
Reports stated that Long arrived in Singapore on 19 June 2024 and checked into a Geylang hotel.
Burglary syndicate operations
Luo joined him around 21 June, sharing the same room. That evening, the pair ventured into the Windsor Park neighbourhood, searching for properties to burgle.
They noticed a house that appeared unoccupied as the lights were off.
At approximately 7.40pm, Long and Luo climbed over the fence and entered the residence.
At the time, the victim’s mother and two domestic helpers were present in a separate building on the premises.
Long reportedly forced open a glass door leading to the victim’s bedroom.
Inside, he accessed a wardrobe and removed drawers containing boxes of jewellery.
He handed the stolen items to Luo, who placed them in a plastic bag.
The stolen valuables included multiple earrings, hair clips, and a gem-studded hair accessory.
By around 8.15pm, the pair left the premises and returned to their hotel room.
The victim, a 53-year-old woman, discovered the theft shortly before midnight upon returning home and notified the police.
Police investigations, aided by CCTV footage from the vicinity, led to the arrest of both men on 26 June 2024.
Some of the stolen items were recovered from their hotel room in Geylang.
However, jewellery valued at approximately S$390,200 remains unaccounted for.
The suspects have refused to disclose the whereabouts of the missing items.
Initially, both Long and Luo pleaded guilty in December 2024 and were awaiting sentencing.
Subsequently, they retracted their pleas, prompting the reopening of the case and the scheduling of a pre-trial conference.
Granted bail on 1 April 2025
Long was granted bail on 1 April 2025 and was required to attend a pre-trial conference on 25 April.
He failed to appear in court, leading to a postponement of the hearing to 23 May.
Repeated attempts to contact him were unsuccessful, resulting in the issuance of the arrest warrant.
Reports indicate that Long became uncontactable just four days after securing bail.
Meanwhile, Luo remains in custody since his arrest on 28 June 2024. He is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on 25 July 2025.
In a separate, unrelated case, another Chinese national, Wu Jinxing, 28, was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment on 16 December 2024.
Wu pleaded guilty to handling the benefits of criminal conduct.
He had travelled to Singapore in July 2024 to retrieve nearly S$500,000 in cash and valuables stolen by two other burglars, Wu Jianxin and Huang Ziqian, who remain at large.
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