10 arrested in 3 cases of loanshark activities
AsiaOne
Tuesday, Jul 24, 2012
SINGAPORE - Police have arrested 10 people between the ages of 17 and 52 for their involvement in three separate cases of loanshark activities.
In the first case, a 17-year-old man was arrested for splashing paint and sprawling loanshark-related graffiti on July 23 at around 1.48pm. He was detained by the two residents who lived in the vincity of Circuit Road.
Officers from Bedok Police Division were contacted immediately and arrived at the scene to apprehend the suspect who was found with a black marker.
In the second case, a 37-year-old man was arrested after he caught the attention of officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division on July 24 at around 3.30am. The officers were doing anti-crime duties around Yishun Street 11 when they spotted him behaving suspiciously.
They conducted a check and interviewed him, and found a mobile phone containing suspected debtors records which was seized as case exhibits.
Initial investigations revealed that he was a debtor-turned-runner who assisted in loanshark activities such as checking for signs of harassment at Yishun, Woodlands and Jurong housing estates.
In the last case, a group of five men and three women, aged between 28 and 52, were arrested after a five-hour operation.
Officers from Central Police Division conducted simultaneous raids in various parts of Singapore on July 23 that resulted in the arrest of this group of loanshark offenders.
Preliminary investigated revealed that these suspects are believed to have opened bank accounts and given away their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loanshark syndicates to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending businesses.
A mobile phone, two cash cards, 65 SIM cards and a notebook containing loanshark entries were seized from the five suspects.
The suspect from the first case, and the two men and woman from the last case, will be charged in court on July 25 under the Moneylenders Act 2010.
Investigations are ongoing for the suspect of the second case and remaining five suspects of the last case.
First-time offenders found guilty of assisting an unlicensed moneylender, may be fined a maximum of $300,000, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding four years and/or be liable for punishment of caning of not more than six strokes.
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