Business owner left with $100k repair bill after $30k in copper allegedly stripped from Jurong warehouse
A business owner is warning others to stay vigilant after a suspected break-in at his newly acquired warehouse in Jurong Industrial Estate allegedly left him with about $30,000 worth of stolen copper wiring and an estimated $100,000 repair bill.
Stomper Adrian said he and his daughter took over the three-storey warehouse at 17 Neythal Road in the last week of May.
They subsequently engaged his usual contractor, whom he has trusted for about five years, to carry out demolition works ahead of renovation.
According to Adrian, the demolition works took about two to three weeks. He added that the contractor was the only person with key access to the warehouse during this period and would lock up the premises before leaving each day.
After the demolition was completed, Adrian visited the warehouse in mid-June to inspect its electrical wiring.
He noticed that some copper wiring had been cut but did not think much of it at the time, believing it could have been due to the age and wear and tear of the building.
“Everything looked old, but the fencing surrounding the building was still intact,” he said.
However, when Adrian returned to the warehouse with his daughter and two contractors on July 10 at about 9am to carry out a more thorough inspection, they made a troubling discovery.
Photos shared by Adrian show exposed electrical conduits, hanging cables and damage inside the warehouse.
The group also found a second-floor window left open, a rear perimeter fence cut open and marks on the walls.
“We suspect someone broke into our factory and stole the copper wires,” he said.
Adrian estimated the stolen copper to be worth about $30,000, while repairing and reinstating the damaged electrical system would cost about $100,000.
He said there were no CCTV cameras inside the warehouse, although cameras are installed in the surrounding area. He is unsure whether they captured the incident.
He subsequently lodged a police report on the same day of the discovery.
In response to a Stomp query, the police confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Sharing his experience, Adrian hopes other business owners will take precautions against similar incidents.
“I just want to warn other business owners,” he said.
In 2025, four men were charged in court after breaking into a construction site in Clementi Road and stealing copper wire worth about $10,000. The men, aged between 24 and 30, had allegedly stolen the copper wires and sold them to a scrap metal company.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
