Between 3 July 2010 and 6 July 2010, Police arrested two men aged 33 and 20 years old for suspected involvement in loansharking activities in two separate cases.

On 3 July 2010 at about 5.20pm, while performing anti-crime patrol in the vicinity of Yishun Street 71, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division spotted a man behaving suspiciously at the said location. Upon a check, Police uncovered several bank transaction receipts in his possession which was believed to be linked to loansharking activities. The 33 year-old suspect was subsequently arrested. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a debtor-turned-runner and had assisted the loansharks to verify the particulars of potential borrowers.

In the second case, on 6 July 2010 at about 12.00pm, through follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested a 20 year-old male suspect in an operation conducted in the vicinity of Ang Mo Kio Central. Several marker pens, ATM cards, one handphone and debtors' records were also seized from him. Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect is a debtor-turned runner and was involved in at least 12 cases of harassment in housing estates in Ang Mo Kio, Hougang, Serangoon and Sengkang.

Investigations against the 33 year-old suspect (first case) are still ongoing. The 20 year-old suspect (second case) will be charged in Court on 8 July 2010 under the amended Moneylenders' Act 2008. 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. 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.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division HQ, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Hsu Sin Yun commended his officers for their perseverance and efforts in clamping down on loansharking activities.