KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 — Police have detained 361 individuals suspected of involvement in illegal money lending, or loan sharking, during a nationwide operation conducted over nine days from November 4 onwards.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the suspects, aged between 18 and 77, held various roles, including money lenders, debt collectors, customer service officers, money distribution agents, mule account holders, paint splashing agents, and distributors of flyers and posters.
“We also seized computers, business licences, 1,439 loan cards, company stamps, 247 borrower files, and RM12,994 in cash,” he said during a press conference at the CCID headquarters yesterday.
Ramli added that 136 investigation papers have been initiated in connection with the arrests, with 25 papers involving 41 individuals already charged in court. The remaining cases are being investigated under Sections 5(2), 29AA, and 29B of the Moneylenders Act 1951.
In 2012 there were 977 loan shark cases recorded, increasing to 989 cases in 2022, and 1,162 cases in 2023, with 777 as of October this year.
In a separate case, he said a 55-year-old woman lost RM1.1 million in a phone scam after receiving a call, allegedly from the National Financial Crime Prevention Centre, claiming her phone number and bank account were involved in a money laundering scheme in Kuching, Sarawak.
The woman, a factory manager, had denied any involvement in the crime after receiving the call on September 19, following which she was instructed to file a report at the Sarawak contingent police headquarters, where her call was transferred to an officer named 'SI Tony,' who directed her to report every movement she made.
She also received a call from someone claiming to be 'Tuan Zaki,' who instructed her to transfer her money to an account for investigation purposes and threatened her with arrest and court charges if she refused.
Fearing the threats, the woman made 34 transfers to nine different accounts between September 24 and November 5, only realising she had been scammed after telling her husband about the incident.
“This case highlights how the syndicate relentlessly pressured the victim, instructing her to report her movements and forbidding her from discussing the case with anyone
“It is important for the public to know that police reports cannot be made over the phone, and investigations are not conducted this way. We advise the public not to trust callers claiming to be police officers,” Ramli said.
— Bernama
