20 people arrested for loansharking activities

SINGAPORE : Police have arrested 20 people for loansharking activities in five separate cases.

The suspects include 12 men and eight women aged between 21 and 56.

In the first case, officers from Central Police Division conducted simultaneous raids at Henderson Road, Yishun, Bukit Batok and Woodlands.

The suspects are believed to have opened bank accounts and gave away their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loanshark syndicates to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending businesses.

Bank cards and transaction receipts were seized.

In the second case, officers from Jurong Police Division mounted an operation covering Jurong West, Kallang and Bukit Batok.

The suspects are believed to be debtors—turned—runners who opened bank accounts and gave away their ATM cards and PINs to loansharks.

In the third case, officers from Jurong Police Division arrested a 32—year—old man in the vicinity of Holland Drive.

He is believed to be a debtor—turned—runner who assisted loansharks by collecting repayments from debtors and performing electronic funds transactions via ATMs.

Four ATM cards, cash amounting to over S$1,400 and a mobile phone containing debtors’ records were seized from him.

In the fourth case, a team of officers from Jurong Police Division arrested a 43—year—old man in the vicinity of Jurong East Street 24.

He is believed to be a debtor—turned—runner who assisted loansharks by distributing fliers and performing electronic funds transactions via ATMs.

An ATM card, a handphone containing debtors’ records and two stacks of fliers were seized.

In the fifth case, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 56—year—old woman after being informed by a resident who spotted the suspect splashing red paint at a unit located in Ang Mo Kio Ave 4.

Loanshark—related paraphernalia, including a marker pen, plastic bags containing bottles of red paint, a mobile phone and a stack of papers believed to contain debtors’ records were found in her possession and seized.

She is believed to be a debtor—turned—runner.

She also assisted loansharks to check borrowers’ units to confirm that harassment had been carried out.

Under the Moneylenders’ Act, first—time offenders found guilty of assisting loansharks may be fined up to S$300,000, jailed up to four years and given up to six strokes of the cane.

First—time offenders found guilty of committing acts of loanshark harassment could be jailed up to five years, fined up to S$50,000, and given up to six strokes of the cane.

— CNA/ms