Police arrest 18 people during anti-loan sharking blitz, Latest Others News - The New Paper
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Police arrest 18 people during anti-loan sharking blitz

This article is more than 12 months old

Police arrested 18 people for their suspected involvement in loan sharking activities in three separate cases this week.

In the first case, officers arrested two teenagers near Bukit Batok Street 21 on Thursday at about 1.10am.

The duo, aged 16 and 17, is believed to have helped loan shark syndicates scribble graffiti on walls and lock the main gates of debtors' residences with bicycle locks in order to earn money.

Two mobile phones, a marker pen and a bicycle lock were seized.

The pair carried out their illegal activities near Marsiling and Bukit Batok public housing estates, stated a police press release on Friday.

They will be charged in court on Saturday (Nov 1).

ATM cards seized 

In the second case, officers arrested a 32-year-old man near Bukit Gombak MRT station on Thursday at about 3.55pm.

Initial investigations revealed that the man helped loan shark syndicates in order to earn more money.

He is believed to have obtained Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards from debtors and used them to perform transactions.

Five ATM cards, two bank tokens, one mobile phone and $1,520 in cash were seized.

He will be charged in court on Saturday (Nov 1).

Island-wide operation

Police also carried out an island-wide operation from Tuesday (Oct 28) to Thursday (Oct 30) covering Bukit PanjangBukit BatokJurong West, Telok BlangahHougangToa Payoh and Ghim Moh public housing estates.

Ten men and five women, aged between 19 and 64, were arrested.

They are believed to have opened bank accounts and given away their ATM cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to loan sharks to facilitate their businesses. 

Investigations against all 15 people are ongoing.

Immigration-related offences

Separately, police also conducted a series of raids near Geylang and Joo Chiat on Thursday.

Officers nabbed 78 men and 24 women for various offences including immigration-related offences.

SingaporeLoan SharkarrestedImmigrationATM cards