Police have arrested seven men aged between 16 and 38 years old for suspected involvement in loansharking activities in three separate cases.

In the first case on 7 June 2010 , a case of loanshark harassment was reported at a block in Admiralty Link. Footage retrieved from a CCTV showed two youths splashing paint on a unit. Following up on this lead, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division conducted extensive ground enquiries and successfully established the identities of the two suspects. On 23 June at about 9.15 am , Police arrested the first suspect aged 17 years old at Punggol Field. Following his arrest, 3 of his accomplices aged between 16 and 17 years old were subsequently arrested in the vicinity of Punggol East and Punggol Central on the same day between 9.40 am and 12.20 pm. Preliminary investigation revealed that the four suspects had committed acts of loanshark harassments islandwide by scrawling loanshark-related graffiti and splashing paint on debtors' units in the Woodlands, Admiralty, Sembawang, Yishun, and Ang Mo Kio housing estates.

In the second case on 23 June 2010 , through follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 38 year-old man for suspected involvement in loansharking activities in the vicinity of Yishun Street 81 at about 1pm . Upon his arrest, a handphone believed to contain debtors' records and an Automated-Teller Machine (ATM) card found in his possesion were seized. On the same day at about 10pm , officers arrested his accomplice aged 36 years old at Upper Thomson Road . Preliminary investigations indicated that the duo were responsible for issuing and collecting loan repayments.

In the third case, on 24 June 2010 at about 4.45 pm , officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division spotted a male motorcyclist beating the red light along Yishun Ring Road. As such, the officers gave chase and caught up with the subject. Upon a check, he was found in possession of several bank transaction slips, ATM cards and a handphone with suspected debtors' records. He was thus placed under arrest for suspected involvement in loansharking activities. All the items were seized for investigations. Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect is a debtor-turned-runner and had assisted the loansharks by carrying out bank transfers.

Three of the suspects in the first case will be charged in Court on 25 June 2010 under the amended Moneylenders' Act 2008 while investigation against the rest of the suspects are on-going. First time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment may be imprisoned up to 5 years and fined between $5,000/- and $50,000/-. In addition, they are liable to caning not more than 6 strokes. First-time offenders found guilty of operating or 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, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Hsu Sin Yun, commended his officers for their relentless efforts in the fight against loansharks. He stressed that Police will not hesitate to take tough action against like-minded inidividuals who flout the law in such a manner.