Police arrest suspected loanshark debtor-turned-harasser

SINGAPORE - Singapore police have arrested a 33-year-old man for suspected involvement in loansharking activities.

The police said in a statement on Sunday that officers were alerted to a "suspicious character" loitering outside a residential unit in Jurong East Avenue 1 on Saturday.

After discovering that the unit has had paint splashed on it, officers started a search and arrested the suspect on the same day with the help of images from the police cameras.

The police believe that the man is a debtor-turned-harasser.

The suspect will be charged in court on Monday. A first-time offender found guilty of loanshark harassment can be jailed up to five years, fined between $5,000 and $50,000, and sentenced to between three to six strokes of the cane, the police said.

sinsh@sph.com.sg