He also had a third charge of trespassing considered during his sentencing.

Huang arrived in Singapore as a tourist on December 5, 2025, and stayed in a hotel in Little India. He had never been to the country before.

Huang thought about stealing to make money after noticing how rich Singapore was. He looked for empty houses in wealthy areas to break into. He did this after researching which parts of the city were rich.

On December 6, Huang found a suite at Capella Singapore that was empty. The owner only stayed there sometimes and was not in the country. The suite had its lights off, and nobody was inside.

Huang broke into the suite by forcing open a sliding door on the balcony.

He stole a Chanel watch, five rings, and a gold necklace from the living room and bedroom.

Huang took the stolen items back to his hotel.

The theft was not discovered until December 8, when a housekeeper found footprints and an empty display cabinet. The housekeeper also found the sofa moved.

The night before, Huang broke into another house in Serangoon Gardens at around 8 pm. He climbed over a metal gate to get in.

Huang stole over $37,300 worth of jewelry from a bedroom dressing table. The jewelry included two Tiffany & Co. wedding rings and diamond earrings.

The owner of the house returned about 40 minutes later and found the dressing table disturbed. Her husband called the police.

Huang tried to break into another house the same evening but was seen by a domestic helper. The helper asked him what he was doing there.

Huang did not understand the helper's question and left. He spoke to her in Mandarin, which she did not understand.

Huang moved to a new hotel on December 8. The police found him there and arrested him in the evening.

The police found items from the break-ins in Huang's hotel room.

The prosecutor asked for 45 to 49 months in jail. He said Huang had targeted empty homes on purpose.

The prosecutor also said that Huang's crime was transnational because he committed it just a day after arriving in Singapore.

Huang's lawyer asked for 30 months in jail. He said the crimes were not professional and that Huang was different from others who come to Singapore to commit crimes.

The lawyer also said that the victims did not lose much because the stolen items were recovered.

In 2024, Singapore police reported a surge in break-ins at landed properties. They believed that foreign syndicates, including Chinese nationals, were responsible.

These suspects would enter Singapore on social visit passes and commit crimes within a day or two. They would then leave the country quickly.

Between June 1 and August 4, 2024, there were 10 cases of break-ins. The total value of stolen property was over $3 million.

In 2024, the police recorded 118 housebreaking cases. This was down from 135 cases in 2023. In the first half of 2025, the number of cases dropped by 20%.

Each count of housebreaking can result in up to 10 years in jail and a fine.