GEORGE TOWN: Penang police have arrested four people, including two who previously borrowed from loan sharks, for threatening victims of a loan shark by burning their cars and splashing paint on their vehicles.
State police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the two male suspects who were borrowers were believed to have been forced by loan sharks to harass other borrowers in order to "settle" their debts.
"The arrests came after three police reports were lodged in relation to several car burning incidents in Central Seberang Prai and George Town on April 30 this year," he said during a press conference at state police headquarters on Monday (May 8).
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said police received a first report from a 40-year-old woman on April 30, who informed the police about her daughter's car that had been burned by an unknown individual at about 4.30am.
He said police received similar reports in Bukit Minyak in Central Seberang Prai and Ayer Hitam in George Town, and the incident happened on the same day between 4am and 7.30am.
He said investigations from the video footage found the suspects in a red car during the incidents, and following investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) personnel from the state police headquarters, a 28-year-old man and his girlfriend, 22, were arrested at Jalan Kuala Kangsar in Ipoh on May 4.
He said the suspects were sleeping in their car during the arrest, which also found them with a lighter, pen, house lock, and several receipts for petrol purchases.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the arrest of the duo led police to arrest another 28-year-old man at a house in Taman Pakatan Jaya, Ulu Kinta at 6.10am on the same day.
Interrogation of the suspects led police to another location at Kampung Simee in Ipoh where police arrested a 33-year-old woman at 1.15pm on May 6.
"Further investigation found that the two male suspects were promised by the loan shark that their debts can be settled if they do what they have been told.
"Other than that, the first suspect was given RM700 through an e-wallet platform before it was to be distributed to the third suspect," he said that the male suspects admitted to receiving orders from loan sharks in a neighbouring country, and for the act of vandalism and burning their victims' cars.
He said the girlfriend of the first suspect admitted to having assisted in the crime by checking the borrower's address through the Internet, while the fourth suspect was responsible for car rentals and getting equipment for their activities.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the victim who lodged the first police report about the incident borrowed money from the loan shark while she worked in the neighbouring country.
He said all the suspects were found to have been actively threatening borrowers since March this year, with their focus in Penang, Perak, and Kedah, with both the male suspects having nine criminal records between them, while the two female suspects have no records.
He said three suspects were remanded for seven days, while the fourth suspect was remanded for four days until May 10 for investigations under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951 and Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire.
