In four separate cases over the past 2 days, Police have arrested two men and two women aged between 25 and 36 years old for suspected involvement in loansharking activities.

On 9 June 2009 at about 11.30 am, while conducting anti-crime rounds in the vicinity of Yishun MRT, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division spotted a subject behaving suspiciously. Upon a check, he was found in possession of two handphones and another person’s ATM card. Preliminary investigation indicated that the 36 year-old subject was a debtor-turned-runner and had assisted the loansharks in their businesses by conducting bank transfers and collecting ATM cards from those who were willing to open bank accounts for the loansharks. The suspect was subsequently placed under arrest for his involvement in loansharking activities and the two handphones and ATM card were seized as case exhibits.

In the second case, on 9 June 2010 at about 12.45 pm, through follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a suspect aged 36 years old at his residence in Pandan Gardens. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a debtor-turned-runner who had committed at least two cases of loanshark harassment in the Hougang estate.

In the third case, on 10 June 2010 at about 4.20 am, a resident of Sembawang estate called for the Police after noticing a suspicious female character at the lift lobby of his block. Upon seeing the said resident, the female subject tried to flee but was stopped by him. Police responded swiftly to the case and conducted a check on the 32 year-old female subject. Loanshark-related paraphernalia such as a marker pen, bottle of paint, a piece of paper and mobile phone with several bank account numbers and suspected debtors' addresses were seized from the subject. The female suspect is believed to be a debtor-turned-runner who had carried out loanshark harassments by scrawling loanshark-related graffiti on the walls and splashing paint at debtors' units in the Sembawang area. She is also believed to have assisted the loansharks by conducting checks to ensure that harassment acts had been carried out on the debtors' units. She was subsequently placed under arrest.

In the fourth case, on 10 June 2010 at about 11.00 am , through follow-up investigation, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 25 year-old female suspect for suspected involvement in loansharking activities. Preliminary investigation indicated that the said suspect is believed to be a debtor-turned-runner and had facilitated the loansharking business by opening bank accounts and giving away her Automated Teller Machine Cards and Personal Identification Number (PIN) to the loanshark.

All four suspects will be charged in Court on 11 June 2010 for offences under the Moneylenders Act.

Offenders who had acted on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, commit or attempt to commit any acts of harassment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, fine not less than $5,000/- and not more than $50,000/- and shall also be liable to be caned not more than 6 strokes. First-time offenders found guilty of assisting in the carrying on of the business of an unlicensed moneylender, may be fined not less than $30,000/- and not more than $300,000/-, be imprisoned for a term not exceeding 4 years and shall also be liable to be punished with caning with not more than 6 strokes.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division HQ, DAC Hsu Sin Yun commended his officers for their good investigative follow-up leading to the arrests of the four suspects.