11 arrested for suspected loansharking activities
Posted: 03 May 2012 2002 hrs
SINGAPORE: Eleven people, aged between 14 and 44 years, have been arrested for suspected involvement in loansharking activities.
In the first case, police arrested a male suspect, aged 47, in Geylang. Two ATM cards and a mobile phone, believed to contain debtors' information, were seized during the arrest.
The suspect is a debtor-turned-runner and is believed to have assisted loanshark syndicates to perform electronic fund transactions via ATMs.
In the second case, police arrested an 18-year-old youth in Yishun.
The suspect is believed to be a debtor-turned-runner who had committed several cases of loanshark harassment by splashing paint and scrawling loanshark-related graffiti on the walls of HDB blocks in Yishun housing estate.
In the third case, police arrested two male suspects, aged 14 and 19, and a 17-year-old female, at Mayflower Avenue.
The three suspects were arrested for committing acts of harassment to debtors together with three other accomplices.
Three other accomplices comprising two male suspects, aged 16 and 18 years, and another 17-year-old female, were arrested at their residences in Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio.
The six suspects are believed to be responsible for several cases of loanshark harassment in Sengkang, Bedok, Tampines, Pasir Ris, Bukit Merah and Jurong by splashing paint on debtors' doors and scrawling loanshark-related graffiti on the walls.
Another 19-year-old man was arrested in Ang Mo Kio.
The suspect is believed to have assisted loansharks by arranging for the six suspects to harass debtors, and subsequently transferring the payment from the loansharks to the suspects.
Loanshark related paraphernalia such as mobile phones believe to contain debtors' records, ATM cards, markers, caps and a knife were seized as case exhibits.
In the last case, police arrested a 36-year-old woman suspect in Ang Mo Kio.
The woman had opened a bank account and given away her ATM card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to loansharking syndicates to facilitate the business of unlicensed moneylending.
Police also arrested a 44-year-old man in Ang Mo Kio.
The suspect is believed to be a debtor-turned-runner who had assisted loansharks by carrying out electronic fund transactions via ATM and allowing his bank accounts and ATM cards to be used by the loansharks. Several ATM cards were seized during the arrest.
All nine suspects in the first, second and third case will be charged in court on Friday with loanshark harassment.
Investigations against the two suspects involved in the last case are still on-going.
First-time offenders found guilty of assisting in the carrying out of the business of an unlicensed moneylender, may be fined between S$30,000 and S$300,000, be jailed for up to four years and be given six strokes of the cane.
First time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment can be fined between S$5,000 and S$50,000, face a mandatory jail term of up to five years with mandatory caning of up to six strokes.
- CNA/fa
