A GANG of unlicensed moneylenders met their downfall after allegedly launching an aggressive campaign of harassment against a female company director who had responded to their online loan advertisement.
Police investigations revealed that the four local men arrested in connection with the case were hardened repeat offenders with extensive criminal records.
Brickfields District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Hoo Chang Hook, said the arrests followed a police report lodged by the victim concerning harassment she had received from the illegal moneylending syndicate.
He said the incident began in August when the 45-year-old Malaysian woman, a director of a private company, responded to a loan promotion she had seen on Facebook.
"The victim then contacted the suspect through the WhatsApp application and agreed to the loan offer.
"The victim also made several repayments," he said.
However, the woman was later accused of making late payments and was imposed additional interest.
"The victim refused to entertain the demand, and she began receiving various forms of harassment and threats from the loan sharks," he added.
Acting on intelligence, the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Brickfields District Police Headquarters launched a raid and detained four men aged between 35 and 47.
"Further investigation found that they had past criminal records involving various cases in other districts and contingents.
"Checks revealed that the first and second suspects each had 17 criminal records, the third suspect had 18 criminal records, and the fourth suspect had eight criminal records.
"All suspects have now been remanded for three days to assist investigations under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951," he said.
Hoo added that investigators are finalising the case file, which will be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor soon.
"The public is reminded to always be cautious of online unlicensed moneylending syndicates.
"The community is reminded to first verify with the relevant authorities to avoid becoming victims of fraud. Please obtain the latest information from the official social media pages of the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID)," he said. - November 22, 2025
