Loan shark menace: Two detained for vandalising home with red paint
ADILA SHARINNI WAHID04 Jul 2023 09:14pm
House sprayed with red paint (Inset) Zaki
The 45-year-old female suspect and 34-year-old male suspect were detained by a team of officers from the Kelantan Commercial Crime Investigation Department.
Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said the suspects were offering illegal money loans to the victims using the name of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM).
"The local female suspect, leveraging her position as someone who can manage AIM, offered loans to individuals who were facing difficulties in making payments, providing loans without the victims realising that they were actually involved in illegal money lending activities," said Zaki.
"The male suspect, who is not a local resident but resides in Kelantan, was responsible for managing these loan transactions," he said during a press conference at the Kelantan Contingent Police Headquarters, today.
He further said both suspects have been remanded until tomorrow for investigations.
Meanwhile, Zaki declared a 'war' against illegal money lending activities and pledged to continue surveillance in areas expected to be hotspots, including markets and shopping centres.
He said those who are involved with loan sharks face various threats and intimidation from these individuals and warned the public against engaging with loan sharks.
"I declare a 'war' because many victims are living in fear and have experienced incidents where their houses were vandalised. I want to remind everyone not to fall into the trap of anyone who claims to provide easy loans," he said.
He also urged the public to provide information on the movements of loan shark agents who come at specific times to collect money.
