Loan sharks are certainly getting bolder despite the authorities ever increasing efforts to shut down their syndicates. Skipping the usual tactics of throwing paint, scrawling ‘O$P$’ on walls and locking the gates of their victims, they’ve started playing with bigger fire.
The doors of two flats in Jurong East were set alight last Saturday, and the occupants inside the flat weren’t even involved in the unscrupulous dealing. Lianhe Wanbao reports that the real target of the fire might be the alleged debtor who lived in the flat below the two units.
Lives could have been lost — the two families were reportedly sleeping and unaware of the fire raging outside their units at block 272 along Toh Guan Road. They were only woken up when Singapore Civil Defence Force officers banged on their doors. Fortunately, the fire was put out by the time the firefighters arrived on scene.
The loansharks were not able to target the alleged debtor’s unit itself as the police installed a closed-circuit camera outside the house on the 11th floor, which was installed after receiving reports of the family being harassed by loan shark runners.
The father of the loan shark target apologised to the occupants of the soot-ridden units, mentioning that his son was the guarantor for a friend who defaulted on his loan.
Police are currently investigating the incident as “suspected unlicensed moneylending harassment by fire”.
Photo: Shin Min Daily
