127 arrested during islandwide anti-loanshark crackdown

SINGAPORE - The police arrested 127 people between Jan 6 to 8 for suspected involvement in loansharking activities.

There were 84 men and 43 women, aged between 17 and 67, who were arrested.

During the islandwide operation, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers and six police land divisions conducted simultaneous raids at several locations around the country to quantify the arrests.

Prior to the operation, it had been deduced through investigations that seven suspects are believed to be runners who had assisted in loansharking business by carrying out Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transfers or procuring ATM cards for the syndicates' use.

Another three suspects are believed to have a history of loanshark harrassment as they had carried out criminal acts like vandalising walls with paint and graffiti.

The police also arrested a suspect believed to have provided false information when retrieving loans from the loansharks.

The remaining 116 are suspected to have opened bank accounts and given away their ATM cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loansharks to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending business.

Investigations against all suspects are ongoing.

Members of the public are advised by the police to stay away from illegal moneylenders and not interact with them in any way possible.

Call the police at '999' or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 to provide any information on any person suspected to be involved in illegal moneylending activities.

ssandrea@sph.com.sg