A 19-year-old man has been arrested in Singapore over his alleged involvement in a loanshark harassment case after a residential unit in Tampines was splashed with red paint.
Police said they were alerted at about 11.40pm on Sept. 30 to a case at a residential unit along Tampines Street 11. A photograph released by authorities showed the main gate of the unit covered in red paint, with a debtor’s note left on the ground.
Officers from the Bedok Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre conducted follow-up investigations and used footage from closed-circuit television and police cameras to identify the suspect.
The teenager was arrested within three hours of the report being lodged, police said.
Preliminary investigations also found that he was allegedly involved in at least two other similar cases of loanshark harassment.
The suspect is expected to be charged in court with loanshark harassment. If convicted, he could face a fine of up to S$50,000, imprisonment of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane.
Loanshark harassment cases commonly involve acts intended to intimidate or pressure people over alleged debts, including vandalising residential properties, leaving threatening messages and causing disturbances outside homes.
Police reiterated that they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment and warned that people who deliberately vandalise property, cause annoyance or disrupt public safety and security will be dealt with under the law.
Authorities also urged members of the public to stay away from loansharks and not to work with or assist them in carrying out harassment activities.
The latest arrest comes amid a series of similar cases in Singapore in recent months, with police using surveillance footage and follow-up investigations to identify alleged offenders.
The investigation into the Tampines case is ongoing, and the allegations against the 19-year-old have not been tested in court.
