Two Chinese tourists, Liao Quanwan, 50, and Liao Yongzhan, 43, were each sentenced to 14 months in jail in Singapore for stealing from a Buddhist temple. They pleaded guilty to one charge of housebreaking and one charge of attempted housebreaking.
The men met in China and traveled to Singapore with a tour group in March, intending to gamble and commit theft, believing Singapore was a wealthy country. They used homemade fishing tools made from string and adhesive tape to retrieve money from donation boxes at Burmese Buddhist Temple on Tai Gin Road.
On April 2, they climbed the temple fence and stole about S$300 (US$234) from donation boxes. A Buddhist lecturer spotted them and shouted, causing them to flee. They discarded the tools, took a taxi to their hotel, and headed to Changi Airport for an earlier flight to China, using the stolen money for return air tickets, food, and cigarettes.
The pair planned another trip to Singapore in August to gamble, sightsee, and commit another housebreaking. They flew from China to Changi Airport on August 17, where police arrested them. They made no restitution for the stolen funds.
For travellers, this case highlights that theft, even small amounts, can lead to severe legal consequences including lengthy jail sentences in Singapore.
