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JOHOR BARU: The police have uncovered a major illegal money lending syndicate that operates not only across the country, but has links across the Calzada in its efforts to crack down on loan sharks.
Johor Police Commander Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said that during the first eight months of this year, the state police had opened 398 investigative documents on the activities of ah (usurers) here.
He added that a task force had been created to track down and arrest all suspects involved in such activities.
“Between August 15 and 23, the police arrested 12 suspects in a series of raids here, Batu Pahat, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor,” Comm Ayob said at a press conference at the state police headquarters here on Tuesday. (September 1st).
He said those arrested, aged 23 to 46, were being investigated under the Money Loan Act of 1951, Section 427, Section 435 and Section 436 of the Penal Code, as well as the Crime Prevention Act (Poca).
“This union targeted Malaysians working in Singapore who applied for loans online.
“Most of those who borrowed money were addicted to gambling and some to businesses. When they could not pay their loans, loan sharks harassed them and their families,” he added.
Comm Ayob said investigations revealed that this particular union was operating in states not only on the Peninsula but also in Sabah and Sarawak.
He added that during a raid on one of the locations, the suspects were caught burning their mobile phones and SIM cards to prevent the police from confiscating them.
He urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to check mobile phone stores that sell SIM cards in bulk without registering buyers.
He also reminded Malaysians to stop borrowing from loan sharks if they wanted this problem to go away forever.
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