Police arrest 80 teens in loanshark crackdown

SINGAPORE - 80 teens were nabbed in a two-day island wide police operation as part of an effort to crack down on loanshark activities.

The operation which ended yesterday evening, resulted in 80 youngsters being hauled off to the Bedok police station.

Their alleged crime? Distributing fliers and name cards that advertised loan shark activities. They were mostly students aged between 12 and 21.

Four other adults, three men and a woman aged 29 and 54, were also arrested. 

The operation covered places from Jurong, Woodlands, Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Hougang, to Bedok, Pasir Ris and Tampines.

More than 150,000 name cards and pamphlets advertising loan facilities, masquerading as legal loans and licensed moneylenders, were seized. Other items confiscated include two printing machines.

A 29-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were involved in recruiting the teens, and a 54-year-old male printed the materials. 

Teens who spoke to The New Paper said they came to know of the distribution jobs while playing online games or through friends' recommendations.

One 13-year-old Normal (Academic) student who studies in a school in western Singapore said she was paid $14 for every 1,000 fliers she gave out, and $16 for 1,000 name cards.

She said she met "a fat and short man" to receive a stack of fliers and name cards, but declined to say when and where they met.

Her mother, a middle-aged hawker, had to pay a bail of $2,000.

Another 15-year-old girl said she was given the job by her friend. The cards she had received had words like "fast cash" and "friendly loan" printed on them.

Her father and brother posted a bail of $2,000 for her release.