4 Chinese nationals brought back to areas near Rail Corridor for crime scene visit

Four Chinese nationals, who were charged for possessing housebreaking tools, were taken back by the police on Aug. 14 to the site of their arrest.

During a police operation against housebreaking on Aug. 8, He Jiao, 38, Zhou Qifa, 36, Yang Chao, 41, and Zhou Yinggui, 36, were caught with screwdrivers, wrenches, and other tools in the Bukit Timah area near Rail Corridor and in Geylang.

The police said they believe the suspects are known to one another, and might be linked to housebreaking foreign syndicates involving Chinese nationals.

Back to Rail Corridor

On Aug. 14 morning, the police took the men back to the areas that they or their case evidence were found.

They arrived one by one in separate police cars, dressed exactly the same: a white polo shirt, black shorts, and plain slippers.

All of them also had restraints around their wrists and ankles.

Two men, He Jiao and Zhou Qifa, were first brought to an area in the Rail Corridor park, not far from the entrance along Bukit Timah Road.

That was where they were first spotted on Aug. 8, approaching from the old railroad bridge.

The first to arrive was He, who was arrested almost immediately in the forested area of Rail Corridor.

A police officer holding a field book spoke to him in Mandarin, asking He to confirm some facts about where they had gone in the park on Aug. 8.

Frowning under the glare of the morning sun, He pointed with his hand and gestured with his head.

At times, he paused and took a while to respond to the officer’s questions.

After He left, another police car arrived with Zhou Qifa, who was arrested in one to two hours after he was spotted.

He kept his head bowed as he exited the car, and spoke softly in response to the officer's questions.

The scene visit continued at a second location about a 10 minutes' drive away, along Laurel Wood Avenue.

The other two accused, Yang Chao and Zhou Yinggui, were brought separately by police officers to a residential area.

During their operation on Aug. 8, the police had discovered clothing in the nearby forested area — clothing that apparently belonged to these two men.

Yang, who arrived first, was arrested in the vicinity of Rail Corridor on Aug. 8.

At the scene, he looked around him and kept his hands close to his body.

The officers questioned him and he was escorted back to the car.

The last accused person was Zhou Yinggui, who was arrested at a hotel in Geylang on Aug. 9 morning.

He appeared solemn and hung his head low.

The officer showed him the field book while asking him where he had entered and left the forested area.

The accused pointed to the book as he answered the questions.

Investigations ongoing

According to charge sheets, the men were found with two black balaclavas, three screwdriver bent at the tip, three pair of gloves, two wrenches, and one torchlight.

These items were deemed to be "for use in the course of or in connection with" housebreaking.

The police are looking into the men's possible involvement in three housebreaking-related cases reported between April and July 2025 in residential estates near Rail Corridor.

All four men had entered Singapore on Aug. 8 from Guizhou, China, on a social visit pass.

Top photos by Wu Xueting/Mothership