Police arrested one 32 year-old Singaporean and three foreign nationals, aged between 22 and 26 years, for suspected involvement in loansharking activities early this morning.

Since Apr 2010, there have been several cases of loanshark harassment reported in the vicinity of Redhill and Henderson Road housing estates. The harassment tactic employed for these cases usually involved paint splashed on walls and/or loanshark writings.

Following the reports, officers from Clementi Police Division intensified their patrols in the area. On 26 Apr 2010 at about 1.20 am, officers spotted four men behaving suspiciously in a car in the vicinity of Blk 94 Henderson Road. The officers decided to move in and conduct a check on them. Upon searching the car, the officers found some loanshark-related paraphernalia such as debtors’ records, bicycle chains, padlocks and cans of paint. Several marker pens were also found in the possession of one of the subjects.

The four suspects will be charged in Court 26 on 27 Apr 2010 at 9.00am. First-time offenders found guilty of assisting in the carrying on of an unlicensed moneylending business may be fined not less than $30,000/- and not more than $300,000/- and be imprisoned for a term not exceeding 4 years. They shall also be liable to be punished with caning of not more than 6 strokes.

Commander of Clementi Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Ng Yeow Boon commended his officers for their vigilance which resulted in the successful arrest of the suspects.