Five suspects arrested for loansharking activities
Posted: 31 May 2012 1743 hrs
SINGAPORE : Police have arrested five suspects for loansharking harassment in three separate cases.
In the first case, three suspects were caught at about 6pm on May 30 at Serangoon Avenue 2.
Police officers spotted the suspects, aged between 18 and 21, behaving suspiciously.
They searched the suspects and found items such as handphones containing suspected debtors' records, a marker and a bottle of chilli sauce.
Police believe they had scrawled graffiti, splashed chilli sauce and smashed glass bottles at residential units in Serangoon housing estate.
In the second case, police officers on duty at Hougang Avenue 1 spotted a 47-year-old man behaving suspiciously at about 7.30am on May 31.
They searched the suspect and found items such as a handphone and pieces of papers containing suspected debtors' records.
Police believe he is a debtor-turned-runner.
Based on early investigations, he is believed to have assisted loan sharks, by demanding repayment from borrowers at their residences.
In the third case, police were informed of a case of harassment on May 4.
Police arrested a 17-year-old suspect at about 2am on May 31 around Bedok Interchange.
Police suspect he had splashed paint and scrawled loan shark-related graffiti on the walls of debtors' units in the Pasir Ris, Tampines, Ang Mo Kio and Yishun estates.
He will be charged in court in June 1.
The two suspects aged 18 and 21 in the first case will also be charged.
Investigations against the other two suspects are on-going.
- CNA/ms
