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Pang De
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Jul 15, 2011
Loan sharks now hunting in schools
Widespread recruitment of students to work for illegal moneylenders
By Tham Yuen-C
Among the 85 students arrested, 60 were under the age of 16. The group included two 12-year-old primary school pupils. Last year, a total of 156 young people aged 19 and below were arrested. The number is more than double the 60 arrested in 2008.
A girl leaving the police station after being bailed out. She was among 85 students arrested last week. -- TNP FILE PHOTO
LOAN sharks are now lurking in some schools here, launching coordinated recruitment efforts that have seen some 100 students approached since last month.
Last week, the police, in a two-day islandwide operation, arrested 85 students and four adults for distributing name cards and pamphlets advertising illegal moneylending services.
The Straits Times understands they had come from some 40 schools, some 30 of them secondary schools. The rest came from the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and private institutions,while some were even recruited from primary schools.
Among the students arrested, 60 were under the age of 16. The group included two 12-year-old primary school pupils.
On Thursday, a police spokesman said: 'This case highlights a worrying trend of loan shark syndicates infiltrating schools and recruiting students to work for them.'
Investigations show that the recruitment activity of the loan sharks was widespread. They recruited students to distribute fliers through word of mouth and also by posting advertisements online, such as on classified ads website Gumtree.
Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.
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