The Police have arrested three youths, aged between 15 and 18, for their suspected involvement in loanshark harassment activities.
On 1 April 2018, the Police were alerted to a case of loanshark harassment where loanshark-related graffiti was found scrawled on the wall along a staircase outside a residential unit located at Woodlands Drive 62. The vigilant house occupant managed to detain a 15-year-old suspect while his two accomplices fled. Through extensive ground enquiries and the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Jurong Police Division swiftly detained the other two youths, aged 15 and 18, in the vicinity.
Preliminary investigations suggest that they are involved in other cases of loanshark harassment islandwide. The 18-year-old youth is also believed to have opened bank accounts and given his Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards as well as the Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loanshark syndicates for their unlicensed moneylending businesses.
The youths will be charged in court on 3 April 2018 under the Moneylenders Act 2010 (Revised Edition). Under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010), first-time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment shall be fined not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000 with mandatory imprisonment of up to 5 years and mandatory caning of up to 6 strokes. First-time offenders found guilty of carrying on the business as an unlicensed moneylender or assisting in the business of unlicensed moneylending may be fined not less than $30,000 and not more $300,000, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding four years and shall also be liable to be punished with caning not more than 6 strokes.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 April 2018 @ 12:43 PM
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 April 2018 @ 12:43 PM