S
Sauron
Guest
Thursday October 7, 2010
Ah Longs target drug peddlers
By R.S.N. MURALI
[email protected]
KUALA TERENGGANU: Loan sharks are not only targeting financially-strapped people as their victims. They are harassing drug peddlers as well. Terengganu police have discovered that loan sharks have been providing credit to drug peddlers here. The money is to be used by the drug dealers to obtain stocks of illegal drugs from a neighbouring country.
State narcotics chief Superintendent Roslan Abdul Wahid revealed that the loan sharks here would provide cash to desperate peddlers to enable them to obtain their stock. The peddlers would later be charged exorbitant interest rates. The loan sharks would go after their family members if the peddlers failed to settle the loans.
“The police are now tracking the loan shark network, which we believe is being operated by a group of Thailand-based mobs. “Based on police intelligence, peddlers who are short of cash will seek help from the loan sharks. “The loans sharks will obtain personal information of the lenders and go after their families to recover the loans,” Supt Roslan said yesterday.
On another matter, a 28-year-old man was detained on Sunday for possessing 1.4kg of cannabis with a street value of about RM100,000 in Wakaf Mempelam recently. Supt Roslan said the man had acted as a clothing merchant to smuggle drugs from a neighbouring country. He added that the man drove a luxurious car and acted as a well-heeled businessman. However, the police got suspicious after noticing his frequent visits to Thailand.
The suspect was tracked to his home in Kampung Tok Jamal here before being arrested. In another case, a suspected drug trafficker tried to reverse his car into several policemen at a roadblock at Kampung Mengabang Telipot on Saturday. The 28-year-old man was nabbed after he crashed into a stationary police car. Supt Roslan said the police found 234gms of cannabis from the suspect.
