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Five plainclothes policemen successfully apprehended a 21-year-old loan shark runner after lying in wait in the pouring rain, reported Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao on Sep. 25.

The dramatic incident occurred at about 3pm on Sep. 24, at Canberra Road, in between Blocks 311 and 300.

The arrest

An eyewitness, surnamed Lin, told Lianhe Wanbao that he had been preparing to drive home, when he chanced across the scene.

Lin had noticed two cars parked at the intersection of the car park, and stepped out of his car for a closer look.

That was when he saw "a man pinned down to the ground by five to six men".

He added:

"A motorcycle was parked close by, and a helmet lay on the grass patch beside them. I believe the suspect had just parked, and did not even have enough time to take off his helmet, when he was tackled to the ground."

A resident who declined to be named shared that she had been resting at home, when she heard the commotion from downstairs.

According to the resident, the men kept warning the subdued man not to move. While he did not appear to resist after they did so, he continued to yell loudly.

"The entire process lasted about 15 minutes. It was only until one of the men took out a pair of handcuffs, that I realised the men were plainclothes policemen handling a case."

The suspect's counterpart, 20, was later arrested in Telok Blangah on the same day, according to Lianhe Wanbao. 

Loanshark harassment

In a press release issued on Sep. 25, the police confirmed that they arrested two men, aged 20 and 21, for their suspected involvement in a series of loanshark harassment cases.

The police had first been alerted to two cases of loanshark harassment along Hougang Ave 5 and Chai Chee Road on Sep. 20.

The doors of the residential units had been set on fire, with writings found on the walls beside one of the units.

Through investigations and with the aid of CCTV footage and police cameras, the identities of both men were subsequently established by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Bedok Police Division.

The two men were arrested in the vicinity of Telok Blangah and Sembawang Way respectively, on Sep. 24.

During the operation, drug paraphernalia was also found and seized from both men.

Charged

Both men were subsequently charged in court on Sep. 25 under the Moneylenders Act (Revised Edition 2010).

According to charge sheets seen by Mothership, Muhammad Alim Razali, 21, and Muhammad Farhan bin Abdullah, 20, were charged for loanshark harassment on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender in the wee hours of Sep. 20, at a debtor's unit in Hougang.

The two men reportedly poured petrol on the door of the unit and set it on fire.

They also reportedly used blue marker ink to write "O$P$" on the wall of the staircase landing, and scribbled the debtor's identification number and unit number followed by the mobile number the debtor should contact for loan repayment.

In their statement, the police stated that there is "zero tolerance" for loanshark harassment activities, and reiterated that those "who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance to the public or disrupt public safety, peace, and security" will be dealt with severely.

The police also urged members of the public to stay away from loansharks, and not to work with or assist them in any way.

If the public suspects or know of anyone involved in illegal loansharking activities, they can call the Police at ‘999’ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664.

Under the Moneylenders Act, first-time offenders convicted of loanshark harassment may be fined between S$5,000 to S$50,000, with a mandatory jail term of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane.

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Top image via Lianhe Wanbao