Four Nabbed Islandwide For Suspected Involvement In Loansharking Activities

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http://www.spf.gov.sg/mic/2013/130115_arrest_loansharking_F_D.html

Police have arrested 3 men and a woman, aged between 30 and 62, for their suspected involvement in loansharking activities in four separate cases.

In the first case, on 13 January 2013 at about 7.00 pm, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division received a ‘999’ call from a resident who spotted a man behaving suspiciously outside his unit located along Fernvale Road.

Officers promptly located a man fitting the description in the vicinity and arrested him following an interview. Loanshark-related paraphernalia which included a mobile phone and betting slips, believed to contain debtors’ records, were found in his possession.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the 51-year-old man is a debtor-turned-runner who committed harassment by delivering debtors’ notes to demand for repayment and assisted loansharks in their business by verifying the particulars of debtors.

In the second case, Police have received several reports in December 2012 about loanshark harassments where paint was splashed and loanshark-related writings were discovered on the walls of HDB blocks in the Commonwealth housing estates.

Following the reports, officers from Clementi Police Division conducted extensive ground enquiries and investigations to establish the identity of the suspect. A 32-year-old man was arrested in the vicinity of Woodlands Ring Road on 14 January 2013 at about 10.10 pm. Several pieces of papers containing suspected debtors’ records and a mobile phone were recovered from the suspect’s possession and seized as case exhibits.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect is believed to be involved in several similar cases of loanshark harassments in the Commonwealth, Taman Jurong, Woodlands, Shunfu Road, Bedok and Tampines housing estates.

In the third case, on 14 January 2013 at about 1.20 pm, through follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 62-year-old woman in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 for assisting in the carrying on of the business of an unlicensed moneylender.

Preliminary investigations indicated that she had given away her ATM card and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to a loansharking syndicate to facilitate the business of unlicensed moneylending.

In the last case, on 15 January 2013 at about 1.20 am, through follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 30-year-old male suspect in the vicinity of Serangoon Ave 2, for assisting in the carrying on of the business of an unlicensed moneylender.

Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had given away his ATM cards and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to a loansharking syndicate to facilitate the business of unlicensed moneylending and have also assisted loansharks in distributing flyers offering financial services.

The suspects for the second case will be charged in Court on 16 January 2013 and investigations against the remaining suspects are ongoing.

Under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010), first-time offenders found guilty of assisting in the carrying on of the business of an unlicensed moneylender, may be fined not less than $30,000 and not more than $300,000, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding four years and shall also be liable to be punished with caning of not more than six strokes.

Under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010), any person who is guilty of providing false contact information to obtain loans from loansharks shall be liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months.

Under the National Registration Act, any person who is guilty of an offence of failing to report a change of address shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both.