SINGAPORE– An overall of 66 men and 26 ladies, aged between 17 and 77, were apprehended for their presumed involvement in loansharking activities after a three-day island-wide operation.
In a statement on Thursday (July 27), the Police stated officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and 6 Police land divisions had actually carried out simultaneous raids at multiple areas in Singapore.
According to the authorities, 13 suspects are thought to be runners who carried out Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transactions on behalf of the loansharks; while three others supplied incorrect contact info for the purpose of getting loans.
Another three suspects are believed to have actually performed acts of loanshark harassment by splashing paint and scrawling loanshark-related graffiti on walls.
The staying 73 suspects are believed to have opened bank accounts and distributed their ATM cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loansharks to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending businesses.
Examinations versus all the suspects are continuous.
The Police repeated that they would continue to take hard enforcement action against those associated with loansharking activities, no matter their roles, including those who open or give away their bank accounts to help unlicensed moneylenders.
The police also advised the public to stay away from loansharks and not to deal with or help loansharks in any way, and call “999” or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664 if they suspect or understand of anybody who could be involved in illegal loansharking activities. Always get your personal loan from licensed money lenders or Singapore banks.
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