Wu Jinxing, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of handling the benefits of criminal conduct. - ST FILE
SINGAPORE: A Chinese national was offered a 30,000 yuan (S$5,600) reward if he came to Singapore to retrieve nearly $500,000 in cash and valuables that two burglars had earlier stolen.
Food deliveryman Wu Jinxing, 28, who earned around 200 yuan a day, accepted the offer and arrived in Singapore on July 27.
He then went to a forested area near Buona Vista MRT station to retrieve an orange Hermes Birkin bag worth around $45,000 that contained some of the loot.
He was arrested soon after and was charged in court on July 29.
On Dec 16, Wu, whose offence was linked to a syndicate, was sentenced to seven months’ jail. He had pleaded guilty to one count of handling the benefits of criminal conduct.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Janessa Phua said the two burglars – Wu Jianxin, 30, and Huang Ziqian, 35 – who are also Chinese nationals, are still at large.
Details about the houses they targeted were redacted from court documents.
According to the documents, the pair broke into one of the houses in July to steal the orange Birkin bag, cash in different currencies, and three luxury watches, each worth up to $165,000.
They hid their loot at the Rail Corridor.
They also went to other houses to steal jewellery, cash and 12 more Hermes bags.
They hid these items behind properties in Bukit Sedap Road, near Holland Road.
The court heard that Wu Jianxin and Wu Jinxing have known each other for 12 years.
At 2.30am on July 27, Wu Jianxin contacted the younger man and asked if he could fly to Singapore immediately for a one-day trip to collect a bag and a watch on his behalf.
Wu Jianxin, who offered him 30,000 yuan as a reward, also promised to settle the latter’s travel expenses.
Wu Jinxing agreed to be part of the plan despite knowing that it involved illegal activities. He arrived in Singapore around noon that day and took a train to Buona Vista MRT station, as instructed by Wu Jianxin.
The DPP said: “(Wu Jinxing) walked down a bicycle route along the Rail Corridor... followed the instructions of Wu Jianxin to climb up a thick vegetation slope and to search for a spot underneath a tree. Wu Jianxin had given these instructions to the accused... via video call.”
Wu Jinxing found the orange Birkin bag hidden underneath some pipes and leaves, and took it.
He then took a taxi to a Geylang hotel and checked into a room at 7pm. With Wu Jianxin observing him through a video call, Wu Jinxing emptied the contents of the bag onto a bed.
Meanwhile, police were alerted on July 27 about the case and officers went to Bukit Sedap Road to recover the other stolen items.
Court documents did not disclose how the authorities knew about the location of the remaining loot.
Still taking instructions from Wu Jianxin, an unsuspecting Wu Jinxing went to Bukit Sedap Road to retrieve the valuables and officers in the vicinity arrested him at 9.40pm.
The officers took him back to his hotel room, where they found the orange Birkin bag and its contents.
On Dec 16, DPP Phua urged the court to sentence Wu Jinxing to between eight and nine months’ jail, adding: “The accused’s offence facilitated the criminal activities of a syndicate... There was a transnational element to the accused’s offence.”
For handling the benefits of criminal conduct, Wu could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000. - The Straits Times/ANN
