200 nabbed in island-wide loansharking blitz
AsiaOne
Friday, Apr 19, 2013
SINGAPORE - It appears there is no letting up in police crackdown on loansharks and their runners.
In an islandwide anti-loansharking operation lasted a few days, from April 16 to 19, the police arrested a total of 200 suspects aged between 18 and 71.
The 147 men and 53 women were suspected of being involved in loansharking activities.
During the 70-hour operation, officers from Criminal Investigation Department and the six land divisions conducted simultaneous raids at variouslocations in Singapore.
Preliminary investigations indicated that 14 suspects were believed to be involved in loansharking activities as harassers, or as runners. They facilitated the loansharks in their businesses by verifying that harassment at debtors' units had been carried out by other debtors, collecting ATM cards, carrying out ATM transfers and distributing flyers advertising loan facilities.
Police also arrested nine suspects who were believed to have provided false contact information when obtaining loans from loansharks. They were investigated for failing to report change of their address.
The remaining suspects were believed to have opened bank accounts and given away their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loansharks to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending businesses.
Investigations against all the suspects are ongoing. Under the Moneylenders' Act (Revised Edition 2010), when a bank account or ATM card of any person is used to facilitate moneylending by an unlicensed moneylender, that person is presumed to have assisted the business of unlicensed moneylending.
Director CID, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck commended the officers for the successful operation. He said: "Police will continue to clamp down hard on unlicensed moneylending activities. Regardless of their roles as account holders, runners or harassers, Police will apprehend all these unscrupulous criminals and bring them to justice."
The public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist the loansharks in any way. Parents are also advised to keep close watch of their children's activities outside school.
The public can call the Police at '999' or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800 924 5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities.
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