S'pore boy, 15, helps loansharks splash paint to buy S$1,700 e-bike

A 15-year-old boy in Singapore has been arrested for allegedly helping loansharks harass "clients" in Woodlands and Yishun.

He had supposedly done so in a bid to raise money for a S$1,700 e-bike.

Helped loan sharks

A police statement said that police were alerted to the incidents on Jul. 17 and 18.

The debtors, who lived at Woodlands Ave 6 and Yishun Ave 11, had their doors and gates plashed with grey paint.

Debtor's notes were also left at their gates.

A photo provided by the police showed a note found at the scene, which read: "O$P$. You better come out settle your problem, if not next time I come to burn [your house]."

Investigations led to the teenager, who was arrested on Jul. 18.

Wanted to buy e-bike

Seeing her son handcuffed at the police station was "heartbreaking", his mother told Shin Min Daily News.

She said her son loves cycling and wanted to earn money to buy an e-bike, which she figured should cost about S$1,700.

She added that her son had discovered a way to make money through a Telegram group, in which someone told him he could earn S$800 by splashing paint on two front doors.

But he was never paid his due even after completing the task.

The boy ended up being charged in court on Jul. 19 under the Moneylenders Act 2008.

For first-time offenders, loanshark harassment carries a fine between S$5,000 and S$50,000, a jail term of up to five years, and a caning of up to six strokes.

Top images via SPF and Shin Min Daily News