Slippers and door of Bedok flat gets set on fire, man nabbed for loanshark harassment

A 30-year-old man was arrested for loanshark harassment after the front door of a Bedok residential unit and a pair of slippers were set on fire.

The walls beside the flat were also scribbled with loanshark-related graffiti.

The police said they were alerted to the case along Bedok North Street 3 on Tuesday (Aug 15).

Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division, Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) established the man's identity and arrested him on the same day of the incident.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is also allegedly involved in two other cases of loanshark harassment.

Two bottles containing kerosene and thinner, four markers and one lighter were seized as case exhibits.

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

First-time offenders convicted of loanshark harassment face a fine of 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 for loanshark harassment activities.

They added: "Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disruption to public safety and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law."

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