Residents’ Vigilance Helps Police Nab Two Loanshark Runners

Police have arrested two men, aged 26 and 32, in two separate cases for their suspected involvement in loansharking activities.

In the first case, on 28 December 2011 at about 4.45pm, an alert resident spotted the 26-year-old suspect fleeing the scene of a case of loanshark harassment at a unit in Blk 224 Simei Street 4. The resident kept observation on the suspect, who was subsequently seen riding away in a motorcycle, and took down the registration number of the getaway vehicle.

Armed with this vital information, officers from Bedok Police Division managed to track down and arrest the suspect at about 5.30pm the following day.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect was involved in several cases of loanshark harassment in Tampines and Simei where units were splashed with paint. The suspect is also believed to have assisted loansharks to verify that acts of loanshark harassment committed by other runners were carried out.

In the second case, on 29 December 2011 at 9.05 pm, a public-spirited resident was taking a lift at Blk 113 Bedok North Street 2 when he spotted the 32-year-old suspect scribbling loanshark-related graffiti on a wall through the glass panel of a lift.

The resident immediately called the Police while observing the suspect from a distance. After the suspect left the crime scene, he trailed the suspect and provided running updates of his location to the Police.

Officers from Bedok Police Division responded swiftly, and based on the information provided by the said resident, arrested the suspect in the vicinity of Block 103 Bedok North Avenue 4. The suspect was found to be in possession of loanshark-related paraphernalia including two mobile phones believed to contain debtors’ records, three plastic bags of paint and two markers.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect was involved in several cases of loanshark harassment in Bedok where paint was splashed and loanshark-related graffiti scrawled outside debtors’ units.

Both suspects will be charged in Court on 31 December 2011 for an offence under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010). First time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment may be fined not less than $50,000 and not more than $500,000 with mandatory imprisonment of up to five years and mandatory caning of up to 12 strokes.

ORIGINAL SOURCE
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