Miri police nab four men linked to online loan sharks after red-paint attacks at borrowers’ homes

MIRI, Oct 31 — Four men have been arrested by Miri police in connection with paint-splashing vandalism cases linked to illegal online moneylending activities in the division.

Miri District Police Chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said in a statement late Friday that the suspects were detained in four separate operations conducted in Kampung Pujut Tanjong Batu on October 23 and 26.

He said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Miri District Police Headquarters (IPD Miri) initially received a police report at 3.11pm on October 22 from a 54-year-old local man regarding an incident in which red paint was splashed on the front gate and porch floor of his house in Miri.

According to the complainant, the act was believed to be connected to demands for repayment of an online loan allegedly taken by his son.

The complainant discovered the incident around 10pm on October 21, after reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at his residence in Jalan Acorus 7 here.

“The footage showed two unidentified men arriving at the house before one of them splashed red paint on the front gate and the floor at the front of the house.

“Prior to the incident, the complainant had received messages from an individual using the name ‘Kelvin’, demanding repayment of an online loan allegedly taken by his son. The messages also contained threats should the payment not be made,” said Mohd Farhan.

Based on the complainant’s information, his son had previously borrowed money online from an individual believed to be involved in unlicensed moneylending activities. Although the earlier debt was said to have been settled, his son later informed him that he had taken another RM200 loan from a different online lender.

“Acting on intelligence and the findings of investigations, a team of CID officers from IPD Miri arrested four local men aged between 25 and 32.

“Police investigations found that all four suspects were involved in the reported paint-splashing vandalism cases, enabling police to solve two cases reported on October 20 and October 22,” he said.

Following the arrests, police seized several items from the suspects, including mobile phones, clothing, slippers, two helmets allegedly worn during the incidents and two motorcycles believed to have been used in the incidents.

Both cases are being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of one to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Mohd Farhan said police take seriously any acts of intimidation, criminal mischief and threats that could jeopardise public safety and order.

He advised the public not to entertain threats or suspicious demands related to online loans and to lodge a police report immediately if they became victims or had information regarding such activities. — The Borneo Post

* Editor’s note: The initials IPD stands for Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah in Malay.

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美里，10月31日讯——美里警方逮捕了四名男子，他们涉嫌在该地区进行与非法网络放贷活动有关的泼油漆破坏案件。

美里警区主任莫哈末·法尔汉·李·阿卜杜拉助理警监周五晚间发表声明称，这些嫌疑人于10月23日和26日在甘榜普朱特丹绒峇都开展的四次独立行动中被拘留。

他说，美里警区总部刑事调查部 (CID) 最初于 10 月 22 日下午 3 点 11 分接到一名 54 岁当地男子的报案，称有人将红色油漆泼洒在他位于美里的房屋前门和门廊地板上。

据投诉人称，该行为据信与他儿子被要求偿还网上贷款有关。

投诉人于 10 月 21 日晚上 10 点左右查看了位于 Jalan Acorus 7 的住所的闭路电视录像后发现了这起事件。

“录像显示，两名身份不明的男子来到这所房子前，其中一人将红色油漆泼洒在前门和房子前面的地板上。

“事发前，投诉人曾收到一个自称‘Kelvin’的人发来的信息，要求其偿还据称是其儿子在网上借的贷款。信息中还包含威胁，如果不还款，将会受到惩罚，”莫哈末·法尔汉说道。

根据投诉人提供的信息，他的儿子之前曾向一名涉嫌从事无牌放贷活动的人在网上借过钱。虽然之前的债务据说已经还清，但他的儿子后来告诉他，他又从另一家网上贷款机构借了200令吉。

“根据情报和调查结果，美里警察局刑事调查科的一个小组逮捕了四名年龄在 25 岁至 32 岁之间的当地男子。

他说：“警方调查发现，所有四名嫌疑人都参与了已报告的泼油漆破坏案件，使得警方能够侦破10月20日和10月22日报告的两起案件。”

逮捕行动后，警方从嫌疑人身上缴获了多件物品，包括手机、衣物、拖鞋、据称在事件中佩戴的两顶头盔以及据信在事件中使用的两辆摩托车。

这两起案件均依据《刑法》第 427 条进行调查，该条规定，一经定罪，可处以一至五年监禁、罚款或两者并罚。

莫哈末·法尔汉表示，警方严肃对待任何恐吓、恶意破坏和威胁行为，这些行为可能会危害公共安全和秩序。

他建议公众不要理会与网络贷款相关的威胁或可疑要求，如果成为受害者或掌握此类活动的信息，应立即向警方报案。——《婆罗洲邮报》

* 编者注：IPD 缩写在马来语中代表 Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah。

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