26 people arrested for suspected involvement in loansharking activities

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested 26 people, aged between 20 and 57, for being involved in seven separate cases of loanshark activities.

First case: 14 men and five women were arrested by officers from Jurong Police Division between Sep 24 and 25. The suspects are believed to be debtors who have have opened bank accounts and given away their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loansharks to facilitate their businesses.

Second case: After follow-up investigations, officers from Jurong Police Division arrested a 24-year-old man in the vicinity of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4 on Sep 24 at about 12.00pm. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a debtor and he had assisted the loanshark syndicates to distribute flyers, which promote unlicensed moneylending businesses.

Third case: Officers from Jurong Police Division arrested a 24-year-old woman for using her bank account and ATM card to perform ATM fund transactions for the loanshark syndicates. She was arrested on Sep 25 at about 12.10pm in the vicinity of Jurong West Avenue 5.

Fourth case: After receiving a tip-off, officers from Jurong Police Division arrested a 45-year-old man on Sep 25 at about 2.35pm in the vicinity of Woodlands Street 83. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is operating an unlicensed moneylending business and had issued unlicensed loans to borrowers.

After a search, officers found one laptop, one computer processing unit, five record books and notes, three handphones, nine bank passbooks and one ATM card in his possession. The items were seized as case exhibits.

Fifth case: Officers from Jurong Police Division were on patrol when they arrested two men, aged 29 and 46, in the vicinity of Block 501 Jurong West Ave 1 on Sep 25, around 7.30pm.

Preliminary investigations revealed that both suspects are debtors-turned-runners. They had assisted the loanshark syndicates to procure ATM cards from other debtors and used them to perform ATM fund transactions. Police seized cash amounting to $16,400, five handphones and six ATM cards in connection to the case.

Sixth case: Officers from Jurong Police Division acted upon a tip-off and arrested one 43-year-old man for assisting the loanshark syndicates on Sep 25 at around 7.45pm. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a debtor-turned-runner. He had assisted the loanshark syndicates to procure ATM cards from other debtors and used them to perform ATM fund transactions. Police confiscated two handphones, eight ATM cards and a stack of ATM transaction receipts which were found in his possession.

Last case: On Sep 26 at about 3am, officers from Clementi Police Division arrested a man, 20, in the vicinity of Pandan Gardens with the assistance of five youths. After receiving a tip-off, officers arrived at the location and spotted the suspect immediately. With the help of five youths, officers managed to detain and arrest the suspect at the void deck of a HDB block after a short chase.

Loansharking-related paraphernalia such as a marker pen, a bottle of paint, a bicycle lock, a pair of plastic gloves and some papers with debtors' records were found in his possession and seized as case exhibits. Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect is believed to be involved in several cases of loanshark harassment committed at housing estates such as Pandan Gardens, Dover Crescent and Commonwealth Crescent.

Investigations against the 20 suspects in the first two cases are still ongoing. The remaining six suspects in the third to seventh cases will be appear in court on Sep 27.

If convicted, as a first-time offender, he faces a fine up to $50,000, a jail term of up to five years and shall be liable to a maximum six strokes of the cane.