3 arrested for loanshark harassment at units in Bukit Panjang and Jurong West
A 31-year-old man was arrested for loanshark harassment on Friday (16 Oct) after a suspicious resident in Bukit Panjang detained him.
According to a Singapore Police Force (SPF) news release, seen by MS News, he was among three people nabbed in one week for three separate cases of loanshark harassment in Bukit Panjang and Jurong West.
Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook. Photo for illustration purposes only.
Man seen carrying cans of paint at Bukit Panjang unit
In the early hours of Friday morning, a man was seen carrying a plastic bag filled with cans of paint at a residential unit along Segar Road.
However, an occupant of the unit grew suspicious of his behaviour and managed to detain him before handing him over to the police.
Police had received an alert about the loanshark harassment case at 12.30am.
Officers seized a marker, several cans of paint and a debtor’s note as evidence.
Preliminary investigations later revealed that the man was also involved in other similar loanshark harassment cases in Singapore.
Police alerted to earlier loanshark case in Bukit Panjang on 9 Oct
In an earlier case on 9 Oct, the main door of a unit along Senja Road was splashed with red and yellow paint.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The perpetrator also scribbled graffiti, including “O$P$”, on the wall next to the unit.
Source: Singapore Police Force
SPF received an alert to the loanshark harassment case at about 9.25pm that night.
Teenager arrested for loanshark harassment in Bukit Panjang
Officers from Jurong Police Division conducted follow-up investigations and viewed images from police cameras.
They managed to identify an 18-year-old male youth and arrested him on Friday.
Preliminary investigations also revealed that the teenager was involved in several similar loanshark harassment cases across Singapore.
Jurong West unit targeted on 13 Oct
The third case involved a residential unit along Jurong West Street 93, which was targeted on 13 Oct.
In this case, the unit’s main door was splashed with green and blue paint.
Source: Singapore Police Force
A debtor’s note had also been placed on the main gate of the flat.
Source: Singapore Police Force
SPF was alerted to the loanshark harassment case at about 5pm that afternoon.
43-year-old man arrested for Jurong West loanshark harassement
Officers from Jurong Police Division conducted follow-up investigations and viewed images from police cameras.
They managed to identify a 43-year-old man and arrested him on 16 Oct, seizing a debtor’s note as a case exhibit.
The man is involved in several similar cases of loanshark harassment across the island, according to preliminary investigations.
Trio charged with loanshark harassment
On Saturday (17 Oct), the teenager and two men were charged in court under the Moneylenders Act 2008.
For first-time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine of between S$5,000 and $50,000, along with up to five years in prison and caning of up to six strokes.
SPF said it has “zero tolerance” for loanshark harassment activities, adding:
Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance or disrupt public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.
It advised members of the public to stay away from loansharks and refrain from working with or assisting them in any way.
They may call the police at 999 to report suspected loansharking activities.
Also read: 27-year-old man in S’pore arrested for a series of loanshark harassment cases
27-year-old man in S’pore arrested for a series of loanshark harassment cases
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.
