S'pore loanshark lures boy, 12, with S$200 fast cash to spray paint & scribble O$P$ outside flat

He roped in a 17-year-old friend.

Winnie Li | May 16, 2023, 10:12 AM

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A man in Singapore, who borrowed S$2,000 from an "unknown person", realised a month later that the money was from a loan shark.

He quickly transferred the money back, but the loan shark was not amused that the man didn't pay interest on the loan.

So, the loan shark looked for people to assist in harassing the borrower.

When the man who took the loan found the outside of his unit vandalised, he quickly called the police.

Police eventually apprehended the two perpetrators — and found that one of them was only 12 years old.

Promised S$200

The loan shark, who identified himself as "Gucci Boi", asked the 12-year-old boy via Instagram if he would be interested in earning quick cash by spray painting people's houses.

Gucci Boi offered the boy S$200 per house.

The boy accepted the offer and invited his 17-year-old friend to help him and they would split the cash.

On May 15, 2020, at around 3.30am, the boy followed "Gucci Boi's" instructions to harass the debtor's unit.

The boy used a red marker to write words on the wall next to the unit, while his older accomplice sprayed black paint on the unit's gate, door, and wall.

The words on the wall read:

"O$P$, Now better contact me XXXX O$P$ l******i very dare block my whatapp and dun wan pay this time lock only Next time is lock and burn."

17-year-old gets reformative training

Court documents revealed the 12-year-old's involvement in the crime when the 17-year-old was hauled to court to face charges.

Other than a charge of committing harassment on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, the 17-year-old pleaded guilty to four other charges, including voyeurism, criminal trespass, theft and rioting.

Three other charges were taken into consideration.

He was sentenced to the Reformative Training Centre (RTC) for 12 months.

It was not disclosed whether the 12-year-old boy was dealt with in court.

The documents also did not reveal if they received the money.

Top image via Nik on Unsplash