KUCHING – Sarawak police are on the hunt for loan shark syndicates which hire individuals via social media platforms to torch and splash paint on the houses of borrowers.
Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said a victim lodged a report on July 7, stating that the victim’s house in Kota Samarahan had been burnt down and they received a video of the incident via WhatsApp.
“There were three other cases of paint being splashed at a furniture shop and victims’ houses. We have started four investigations under Sections 436 and 427 of the Penal Code,” he said in a statement here today.
Azman said that seven local suspects have been detained and remanded for seven days starting July 17.
“We found out that the suspects had accepted the offers on social media to carry out the jobs and paid RM1,500,” he said.
Azman urged members of the public who have any information about the incidents to contact the investigating officer Insp Mustapha Ramli at 019-814 5090. – Bernama, July 19, 2023
