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SINGAPORE – A total of 252 people have been arrested for various crimes during a 16-day police operation led by the Bedok Police Division.
Most of the suspects were arrested for crimes related to cheating and loan snatching, while a small number were arrested for crimes related to drugs and other crimes.
The suspects, aged between 16 and 76, are 186 men and 66 women.
The raid was carried out from November 23 to December 8, police said in a statement on Monday (December 14).
Of the 252, 50 men and 19 women are being investigated for their alleged involvement in e-commerce scams and money laundering activities, and the value of these transactions exceeds $ 1.5 million.
Another 129 men and 45 women, ages 18 to 76, are being investigated for loan scams and loan encroachment activities involving transactions of more than $ 216,000.
Among them, 11 men and eight women, between the ages of 20 and 61, were arrested for crimes under the Lenders Act.
The crime of cheating carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, while money laundering is punishable by a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $ 500,000.
First-time offenders found guilty of assisting in unlicensed money loans can be fined between $ 30,000 and $ 300,000 and jailed for up to four years, with mandatory lashes of up to six strokes.
Repeat offenders are liable for the same fine, but with an increased jail sentence of up to seven years and a mandatory beating of up to 12 strokes.
Police said that with the support of officers from the Central Narcotics Office, four other men and two women, ages 16 to 59, were arrested for drug-related offenses.
Three other men, between 24 and 42 years old, were also captured for crimes such as criminal intimidation and robbery.
Police said all investigations are ongoing.
Police emphasized their officers’ commitment to continue to work hard throughout the end-of-the-year holiday period.
“This operation reflects the commitment of the Bedok Police Division to hold those who break our laws accountable and protect our residents from harm,” said Division Commander, Deputy Police Commissioner Julius Lim.
“I would like to pay tribute to the intelligence community, the Central Narcotics Office and dozens of investigators who worked tirelessly, under difficult conditions, to bring the offenders to justice,” he said.
“These officers care deeply about the safety and security of their neighborhoods and will continue to do everything possible to keep you safe during this year-end period.”
Police added that they will continue to take strict enforcement measures against those involved in scams and unlicensed money lending activities.
This includes taking action against those who open or give away their bank accounts to help unlicensed lenders.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit this website or call the Scam Hotline at 1 800-722-6688.
If members of the public suspect or know of someone who might be involved in unlicensed money lending activities, they can call the police at ‘999’ or the X-Ah Long hotline at 1800-924-5664.
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