Police arrested two men, aged 19 and 24, for their suspected involvement in loanshark harassment early this morning.

On 20 June 2010 at about 4.30 am , officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division had stopped a taxi during a Police road-block along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5. The vigilant officers observed that the two male passengers in the taxi appeared to be nervous and conducted a check on them. During the search, an assortment of loanshark-related paraphernalia such as cans of paint, paint brush, gloves and mobile phones containing suspected debtors’ records were discovered in the two men’s possession. The two men were then placed under arrest for their suspected involvement in loanshark harassment and the items were also seized as case exhibits. Preliminary investigations revealed that the two suspects are believed to be responsible for a case of loanshark harassment at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 earlier that morning.

In a separate case, on 18 June 2010 at about 10.20 pm, officers who were on their rounds observed a 30 year-old man behaving suspiciously and making several bank transactions at an ATM in the vicinity of Yishun Avenue 5. As such, the officers moved in and conducted a check on the said subject. He was found in possession of four ATM cards belonging to unknown subjects and several bank transaction slips. Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect is a debtor-turned-runner and had facilitated the business of the loanshark by carrying out bank transfers. All the ATM cards and bank transaction slips were seized as exhibits upon his arrest.

The two suspects will be charged in Court on 21 June 2010 for loanshark harassment. Under the amended Moneylenders Act 2008, first-time offenders found guilty of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, committing or attempting to commit any acts of harassment shall be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000, and shall als o be liable to caning of not more than six strokes .

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Hsu Sin Yun, commended his officers for their vigilance leading to the arrest of the two suspects .