Two Chinese nationals arrested four months after temple donation box theft — caught when they returned to Singapore

SINGAPORE: Two male Chinese nationals aged 43 and 50 have been arrested for breaking into a temple along Tai Gin Road and stealing between S$300 and S$400 from its donation boxes. This arrest was made more than four months after the offence, when they returned to Singapore and were detained by officers who had identified them through CCTV footage.

The break-in occurred on April 2, 2026, at about 12:30 a.m. The two men entered the temple premises and used a card affixed with adhesive tape to extract cash from the donation boxes before leaving. Through follow-up investigations aided by CCTV images, officers from Tanglin Police Division established the suspects’ identities, but found that both men had already departed Singapore on the same day as the offence.

On August 16, 2026, the two men returned to Singapore and were arrested. Preliminary investigations revealed that the stolen cash had already been used by the suspects.

Both men were charged in court on August 18, 2026, with housebreaking and theft with common intention under Section 451 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code 1871, which carries imprisonment of up to ten years and a fine.

The Police used the occasion to remind property owners, including temples and places of worship. to adopt basic crime prevention measures: secure all doors, roller shutters, windows, and openings with good quality grilles and padlocks when premises are unattended; avoid keeping large sums of cash or valuables on the premises; and install burglar alarms, motion sensor lights, and CCTV cameras covering all access points, ensuring they are tested regularly and functioning.

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