GEORGE TOWN: Four people, including two who had previously borrowed money from illegal moneylenders, were arrested by the police 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 suspects who were borrowers were believed to have been forced by loan sharks to harass other borrowers as a way to settle their debts.
The two female suspects were believed to have assisted the male suspects to harass other borrowers.
“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,” he told a press conference yesterday.
In the first police report on April 30, a 40-year-old woman told the police that her daughter’s car was burned by an unknown individual at about 4.30am that day.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said police received reports in Bukit Minyak, central Seberang Prai and Ayer Itam in George Town of similar incidents on the same day between 4am and 7.30am.
He said video footage showed the suspects in a red car during the incidents and, following investigations, CID personnel picked up a 28-year-old man and his girlfriend, aged 22, in Jalan Kuala Kangsar in Ipoh on May 4.
He said the suspects were sleeping in their car during the arrest.
Police also found a lighter, pen, house lock and several receipts for petrol purchases inside the car.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the arrests led police to another 28-year-old man at a house in Taman Pakatan Jaya, Ulu Kinta at 6.10am the same day.
Further questioning of the suspects led police to another location at Kampung Simee in Ipoh where they arrested a 33-year-old woman at 1.15pm on May 6.
“Investigations showed the two male suspects were promised by the loan shark that their debts would be settled if they did what they were told.
“The first male suspect was given RM700 through an ewallet platform to be shared with another male suspect,” he said.
He also said both male suspects had admitted receiving orders from the loan sharks in a neighbouring country to carry out vandalism and to burn the victims’ cars.
He said the girlfriend of the first suspect admitted to assisting in the act by checking the borrower’s address through the Internet while the other female suspect was responsible for car rentals and getting the equipment.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said the victim who lodged the first police report had borrowed money from a loan shark while working in a neighbouring country.
He said all the suspects were found to have been actively threatening borrowers since March this year, with their focus being Penang, Perak and Kedah.
Both male suspects have criminal records for nine offences between them.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said three suspects were remanded for one week and the fourth for four days to assist investigations under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act and Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire.
