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"X Ah Long" hotline gets 200 calls in first month
By Michelle Lee, Sharon See | Posted: 06 September 2010 2013 hrs
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SINGAPORE : It has been a month since the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) launched a hotline which allows people to tell on loan sharks anonymously.
Called "X Ah Long", the hotline has received almost 200 calls so far.
Poh Kay Ping, an NCPC member, said: "It's very encouraging, and people are coming forward to give us information.
"Of course there are various situations - some of them are borrower themselves, desperate; some of them who are worried about their relatives becoming runners for these Ah Longs; some of them are neighbours of a victim who has neighbourhood being harassed - so quite wide spectrum."
The council passes all information gathered over to the police for investigations.
However, the police have yet to crack any case based on the hotline information as they need time to investigate cases thoroughly to ensure successful prosecution.
The council is urging former members of illegal money lending syndicates or those forced to participate in such activities to provide information through the hotline.
It said the identities of callers will be kept confidential.
- CNA/al