JOHOR BARU: Four individuals, including three men and one woman, have been arrested in Johor for their involvement in a loan shark syndicate that carried out criminal intimidation by vandalising homes.
The suspects, aged between 17 and 46, were apprehended following a series of raids conducted by the Johor Police on January 1 across Johor Baru and Selangor.
“These individuals were paid by the syndicate to intimidate victims who failed to repay their loans by vandalizing their homes with paint,” said Johor Police Chief Datuk M. Kumar.
The police also seized several items during the raids, including mobile phones, paint-filled containers, threat notes, and various stationery items related to the crime.
Initial investigations revealed that the suspects had been active in Johor since mid-December 2024, carrying out these acts of vandalism for a fee of RM450 each.
The loan shark syndicate operated primarily through social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, advertising easy loans with high interest rates.
Once a loan agreement was made, the syndicate would deposit funds into the borrower’s account, even before the terms of the agreement were finalized.
If the borrower failed to repay, the syndicate would employ intimidation tactics, including paint vandalism, to frighten the borrower and their family into compliance.
The group targeted Malaysian workers in Singapore, with loan transactions and repayments being handled through bank accounts registered in Singapore.
With these arrests, Johor police have resolved 11 cases involving similar methods, including several in Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri, Kulai, Batu Pahat, and Pontian.
