21-year-old man arrested for loanshark harassment after locking Ang Mo Kio flat

A 21-year-old man was arrested on Feb 6 for loanshark harassment.

The police said they were alerted on Jan 20 to the case at a residential unit along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, where the gate of a residential unit was secured with a bicycle lock and a debtor's note was left behind.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Ang Mo Kio and Tanglin Police Divisions established the man's identity and arrested him.

A scotch tape, a notebook, a pack of face masks and six bicycle locks were found at his home and seized as case exhibits.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is also believed to be involved in other similar cases of loanshark harassment islandwide.

The man will be charged in court on Feb 7 under the Moneylenders Act 2008.

First-time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment face a fine between $5,000 and $50,000, with up to five years in jail and up to six strokes of the cane.

The police said they have zero tolerance against loanshark harassment activities. They added: "Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance or disrupt public safety, peace and security will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law."

Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist them in any way.

Those who suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities can call the police at '999' or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664.