Four loan sharks held for alleged involvement in paint splashing, arson in six states

GEORGE TOWN: Police busted an Ah Long or loan shark syndicate which also committed crimes across states, following the arrest of four men in a series of raids in Penang, Kedah and Perak on Thursday (Oct 17).

Penang Police chief Datuk Hamzah Amhad said that based on investigations, the syndicate is suspected to have been involved in committing mischief by splashing paint and arson at several premises in the state.

"The Penang Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched a major operation against an 'ah long' syndicate believed to have carried out illegal money-lending activities before arresting four men, aged 23 to 28, at several locations in Perak, Kedah and Penang.

"The syndicate is believed to have conducted illegal money-lending activities, involving loan sharks and online money-lending, in addition to being involved in committing mischief by splashing paint and arson," he said in a statement today.

He said police also seized several crucial case items, including a set of business registers of the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) in the name of a company believed to be used to carry out unlicensed money lending activities, chequebooks, notebooks containing a list of names of borrowers, four mobile phones and a car.

Hamzah said that during preliminary investigations, the four men confessed to being involved in 27 cases of paint splashing and arson in six states, namely Penang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Melaka.

He said an inspection of the seized mobile phones found 24 video clips showing criminal acts of splashing paint and arson recorded by the suspects at different locations.

"They have all been remanded and the case is being investigated under Sections 427, 435 and 436 of the Penal Code and Section 29AA of the Moneylenders Act 1951," he said.

-- BERNAMA

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