A maid got herself involved the loan sharks. Initially, the amount she got from the sharks were only $3000 and of course being loan sharks they told the maid to return $6000 double the amount!
The employer has been receiving multiple harassment text messages such as:
“You worker owe me money So call me back to setter asap If not tonight we will ask man go up you place to do something.”
Source: http://sgkaypoh.com
A 69-year-old borrower was told to go to a specific address to pick up the loan. He was asked to slip his NRIC under the door.
He did so but did not get any response despite knocking on the door repeatedly. He then called the police to help retrieve his NRIC.
The address turned out to be that of a 54-year-old debtor who had defaulted on his loan repayments.
The Police said in a release on Friday that this is a new tactic employed by loan sharks to use prospective borrowers to harass debtors.
Investigations are currently ongoing against the prospective borrower for an offence of harassment by causing annoyance under the Moneylenders Act.
Borrowers who commit such acts may be liable for an offence under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010). First time offenders found guilty of loan shark harassment will be jailed for up to five years, fined between $5,000 and $50,000, and may be given between three and six strokes of the cane.
Further investigations also showed that the debtor had also assisted loan sharks in their activities by opening a bank account for their use. He has been arrested.
A first time offender found guilty of assisting loan sharks in their unlawful activities may be jailed for up to four years and fined between $30,000 and $300,000.
Members of public are advised to stay away from loan sharks and not to borrow money or assist the unlicensed moneylenders in any way.
The public can call the X-Ah-Long hotline at 1800 924 5664 if they have any information on anyone who could be involved in illegal loan shark activities or 999 for urgent Police assistance.
Source: www.straitstimes.com
An alleged loanshark runner faces 26 more charges on Wednesday (Jun 24), after he was accused of burning a flat in Jurong East as a harassment tactic.
Mohamed Ashyik Mohamed Shawal, 31, now faces a total of 27 charges, with five of them being charges for harassing a person in connection with a loan by setting fire to the borrower’s unit or that of another person.
One of the five charges was for a unit that was on the same floor as the flat related to his previous charge.
Three of the 27 charges were in connection to the accused handing over bank ATM cards and personal identification numbers of three bank accounts, each under a different bank, to a loanshark.
For these charges, Ashyik had allegedly committed these offences between Jun 8 to 15. Besides acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender known as “Denzel”, several charges were for another moneylender known as “Marco”.
On one particular charge, Ashyik had allegedly wrote on the lift landing of a block in Sengkang, “I can put paper I also can plan fire (sic)”.
“Want play I can play bigger… better call me now or I smash ur neighbour house (sic),” the message continued.
Ashyik was previously accused on Jun 17 of loanshark harassment by fire of to a unit on the 12th floor of Block 272 Toh Guan Road. He also allegedly wrote “O$PS” using a black marker on the lift landing of the 12th floor, citing a unit number on the 11th floor directly below the affected unit and the handphone number of a person called Jax.
The accused, whose identity was established with the aid of police cameras, was arrested at Toa Payoh Lorong 5 on Jun 15. During the operation, loanshark-related paraphernalia such as paint cans, bicycle chain locks and marker pens were seized.
Bail was offered at S$80,000, and the case has been adjourned until Jul 22. The accused said before District Judge Eddy Tham that he intended to apply for legal aid.
First-time offenders found guilty of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, committing or attempting to commit any acts of harassment face up to five years’ jail, a fine of between S$5,000 and S$50,000, and three to six strokes of the cane.
If found guilty of assisting an unlicensed moneylender, Ashyik faces up to four years’ jail and a fine of between S$30,000 and S$300,000.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
Police have arrested a man, believed to be a loan shark runner, who was involved in at least five cases of harassment involving fire islandwide.
The 31-year-old man was arrested on Monday at Lorong 5 Toa Payoh after setting his last fire on Saturday at Block 272, Toh Guan Road.
The fire destroyed the front doors of two units on the 12th storey of the block.
Residents believe the loan sharks were deterred by closed-circuit television cameras installed outside the debtor’s 11th storey unit and decided to target his neighbours’ flats instead.
Following the fire, the police arrested the suspect and seized cans of paint, bicycle chain locks and marker pens.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is believed to be involved in more than 10 cases of loan shark harassment islandwide, including at least five cases involving fire.
The suspect is expected to be charged today for loan shark harassment.
The two residents whose doors were burnt said they were relieved the man had been caught, and hoped such an incident would not happen again.
One of them, a man in his 20s who wanted to be known as Mr Lim, told The New Paper: “I didn’t expect something like that to happen to me, and I hope the police step up enforcement.”
His neighbour, who wanted to be known as Madam Liu, 76, blamed her luck and said she would have to pay for her own repairs.
Lianhe Wanbao reported that the suspect was taken to the scene of the crime yesterday in restraints, escorted by six police officers.
He was seen answering questions from the officers before being led away.
‘ZERO TOLERANCE’
Mr Loh Kah Wai, who heads the Unlicensed Money Lending Strikeforce of the Specialised Crime Division, said in a statement yesterday: “Police have zero tolerance against such lawless acts of loan shark harassment involving fire which threaten the community’s sense of safety.
“We will continue with our tough enforcement action and spare no effort to nab these offenders to ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions.” Under the Moneylenders Act, first-time offenders found guilty of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, committing or attempting to commit any acts of harassment, can be jailed up to five years, fined up to $50,000, and caned up to six strokes.
Source:www.tnp.sg
A 23-year-old man has been arrested for suspected involvement in loansharking activities, said the police on Wednesday (Jun 3).
Police said they received a report of loanshark harassment on Block 8 Jalan Kukoh, where the area was found to be splashed with paint and vandalised with loanshark-related graffiti.
Preliminary investigations revealed the suspect was allegedly involved in splashing paint at debtors’ houses and scrawling graffiti at various locations in Singapore. Police seized two mobile phones and a red marker pen, believed to have been used in committing the offences.
The suspect will be charged in court on Thursday. First-time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment face up to five years in jail, a fine of between S$5,000 and S$50,000, and between three and six strokes of the cane.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com