The Police have arrested three men, aged between 19 and 34, for their suspected involvement in three separate cases of loanshark harassment.
For the first case, the Police were alerted on 14 January 2021 to a case of loanshark harassment along Shangri-La Walk, where the gate of a residential unit and a parked car were splashed with paint.
For the second case, the Police were alerted on 19 January 2020 to a case of loanshark harassment at a residential unit along Hougang Avenue 3, where loanshark-related graffiti was scrawled on the walls of the common corridor.
Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identity of both men and arrested them on 25 January 2021. Preliminary investigations revealed that the men are believed to be involved in other cases of loanshark harassment island-wide.
In the final case, officers from Tanglin Police Division were conducting a police roadblock along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 on 26 January 2021 when the driver of a car allegedly tried to reverse his car after seeing the roadblock. The officers managed to stop the driver from fleeing and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Three cans of spray paint and a pair of cotton gloves were allegedly found inside the car. The man is allegedly involved in at least three cases of loanshark harassment at Yishun Ring Road, Jurong West Street 74 and Sims Drive, where the wall and doors of residential units were sprayed with paint.
All three men will be charged in court on 27 January 2021 under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010). For first time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000, with mandatory imprisonment of up to five years and mandatory caning of up to six strokes.
The Police have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties and cause annoyance and disruptions to public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.
Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and to not work with or assist the loansharks in any way. The public can call the Police at ‘999’ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
26 January 2021 @ 11:55 PM