A 32-year-old man has been arrested in Singapore after allegedly vandalising a residential property in Bukit Panjang in a suspected loanshark harassment case—and police said he was caught when he allegedly returned to cause further damage.
Police were alerted at about 3:55 p.m. on Sept. 23 to an incident at a residential unit along Segar Road. The wall outside the flat and an electrical riser door beside the unit had reportedly been sprayed with black paint, while a debtor’s note was attached to the door. The graffiti included the familiar “O$P$” marking associated with loanshark harassment.
Officers from the Jurong Police Division conducted follow-up investigations and used images from police cameras to identify the suspect.
Police said the man was arrested on the same day after he allegedly returned to the location and was in the process of spraying another set of loanshark-related graffiti on the other side of the wall. This allowed officers to detain him at the scene.
The suspect is due to be charged in court on Sept. 25 with loanshark harassment.
Under Singapore’s Moneylenders Act, a first-time offender convicted of loanshark harassment can face a fine of between S$5,000 and S$50,000, imprisonment of up to five years and up to six strokes of the cane.
The case comes amid continued police action against suspected loanshark harassment across Singapore. Authorities have repeatedly warned that such activities can involve property vandalism, threatening messages and other forms of intimidation directed at debtors or people whose homes have been targeted.
In another 2026 case, two men aged 18 and 39 were arrested over alleged loanshark harassment at a Senja Road residential unit in Bukit Panjang. Police said a bicycle lock had been used to secure the gate and a debtor’s note had been placed on the door. Investigators also believed the pair could be linked to other similar cases islandwide.
Police have urged members of the public not to work with or assist loansharks and to contact the authorities if they have information about suspected loansharking activities. Singapore Police have said they take a zero-tolerance approach toward harassment that involves vandalism, annoyance or disruption of public safety and security.
The latest arrest also highlights how police cameras and follow-up investigations are being used to identify suspects after reported harassment incidents. However, the allegations against the 32-year-old man have yet to be tested in court, and an arrest does not constitute a conviction.
The bigger question now is whether investigators will uncover links between this suspect and other loanshark harassment cases—and how much wider the network behind the Bukit Panjang incident may be.
