3 arrested in 2 separate cases of suspected loanshark harrassment
AsiaOne Tuesday, Nov 11, 2014
Police have arrested a couple, who are both 19 years old, and a 25-year-old man for their suspected involvement in loansharking activities in two separate cases.
In the first case, on Nov 10 at about 7.50pm, police were alerted of a suspicious character loitering outside a residential unit located at Blk 332 Jurong East Avenue 1.
Officers from Clementi Police Divison responded to the scene and found that the unit was splashed with paint and loanshark-related graffiti scrawled on the walls.
A search was mounted by the officers and two suspects, both 19 years, were detained with the aid of images obtained from the Police Cameras (PolCams) in the area.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the couple, suspected to be debtor-turned-harasser, have assisted loanshark syndicates to carry out harassment by splashing paint and scrawling loanshark-related graffiti on the walls of the HDB blocks and splashing paint on the door of debtors.
When arrested, two cans of red paint, one red marker and one screwdriver were seized from them.
In the second case, there was a spate of loanshark harassment cases reported at Jurong West, Woodlands, Yishun, Hougang, Toa Payoh, Segar Road and Ghim Moh public housing estates between Nov 1 and Nov 10.
Acting on these cases, a team of dedicated crime strike force officers from Jurong West Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC), Toa Payoh NPC, Queenstown NPC carried out extensive investigations and obtained images of the culprit from the PolCams mounted in the vicinity.
Police managed to track down the suspect's whereabouts and placed him under arrest on Nov 10.
First-time offender found guilty of loanshark harassment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of up to five years, a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000, and shall also be liable to caning of not less than three and not more than six strokes.
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