19-year-old arrested after red paint attack on Tampines flat; linked to multiple loanshark harassment cases

A 19-year-old male teenager has been arrested for his alleged involvement in several cases of loanshark harassment.

Police said in a news release on Thursday (Oct 1) night that they were alerted at about 11.40pm on Sept 30 to a case of loanshark harassment at a residential unit along Tampines Street 11.

A photograph of the alleged crime scene shows the main gate of the victim's unit splashed with red paint. A debtor's note was also placed on the ground.

Officers from Bedok Police Division and the Police Operations Command Centre identified the teenager through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and police cameras.

According to the police, he was arrested within three hours of the report being lodged.

Preliminary investigations revealed that he is allegedly involved in at least two other similar cases of loanshark harassment, the police added.

The 19-year-old will be charged in court on Friday with the offence of loanshark harassment.

If found guilty of the said offence, he could be fined up to $50,000, jailed for up to five years, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.

The police warned would-be perpetrators that they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities.

"Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance or disrupt public safety and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law," they said.

Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not work with or assist them in any way, the police added.

一名19岁的男性青少年因涉嫌参与多起高利贷骚扰案件而被捕。

警方在周四（10 月 1 日）晚间发布的新闻稿中表示，他们于 9 月 30 日晚上 11 点 40 分左右接到报案，称淡滨尼 11 街一处住宅单位发生高利贷骚扰案件。

据称的犯罪现场照片显示，受害者住所的大门被泼上了红色油漆。地上还放着一张欠债人的字条。

勿洛警署和警察行动指挥中心的警员通过后续调查，并借助闭路电视摄像机和警用摄像机的图像，确认了这名青少年的身份。

据警方称，报案后三小时内，他就被逮捕了。

警方补充说，初步调查显示，他涉嫌至少还涉及另外两起类似的放高利贷骚扰案件。

这名19岁的男子将于周五在法庭上被控犯有骚扰高利贷罪。

如果被判犯有上述罪行，他可能被处以最高 5 万美元的罚款、最高五年的监禁，以及最高六下鞭刑。

警方警告潜在的犯罪分子，他们对高利贷骚扰活动零容忍。

他们说：“那些故意破坏财物、扰乱公共秩序或危害公共安全的人，将依法受到严厉惩处。”

警方补充说，建议公众远离高利贷者，不要以任何方式与他们合作或协助他们。