The Police arrested thirteen men and two women, aged between 22 and 59, for their suspected involvement in loansharking activities in two separate operations conducted on 27 January 2016.
In the first operation, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Police Intelligence Department (PID) conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations island-wide, resulting in the arrests. During the operation, cash amounting to about $13,870/-, mobile phones, a laptop, thumb drive, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, internet banking dongles and bank transaction slips were seized as case exhibits. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are believed to be runners who had performed the collection of repayment and disbursement of loans to borrowers.
In the second operation, officers from the Clementi Police Division arrested seven men and two women, aged between 22 and 48, suspected to have assisted the loanshark syndicates. Preliminary investigations established that one suspects is believed to be runners who had assisted the loansharks to procured bank ATM card from debtors and one suspect who is believed to have provided false contact information when obtaining loans from loansharks. Investigations under the National Registration Act will be carried out against the said suspect for failing to report the change of address. The remaining 7 suspects are believed to have opened bank accounts and given away their ATM cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loansharks to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending businesses.
Three of the suspects arrested in the first operation will be charged in Court on 29 January 2016 with offences under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010) while investigations are on-going for the rest of the suspects.
As for the second operation, investigations are on-going for the nine suspects.
Head of the Unlicensed Moneylending Strikeforce of CID, Superintendent of Police Loh Kah Wai commended the officers involved for their hard work and close cooperation resulting in the arrests. He said, Police will spare no effort to track down those involved in the loansharking business and bring them to justice.â€
Members of public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist 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 illegal loansharking activities.
In the first operation, cash amounting to about $13,870/-, mobile phones, a laptop, thumb drive, Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, internet banking dongles and bank transaction slips were seized as case exhibits.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
28 January 2016 @ 8:15 PM