Johor bahru: Johor police solved 34 cases of mischief linked to an unlicensed moneylending syndicate with the arrest of three individuals in an operation carried out in Johor Bahru and Kluang on Sept 4 and 7.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, state police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad stated that the suspects, two men and a woman aged between 21 and 30, were apprehended by a team from Johor Bahru Selatan district police headquarters (IPD) Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) and the Kulai IPD. Preliminary investigations revealed that all three suspects were paid RM1,000 for each act of arson and RM550 for splashing paint or pasting threat notices at victims' homes.

The police chief confirmed that the arrest of these individuals has led to the resolution of 34 mischief cases. These incidents included 18 in Johor Bahru, six in Kulai, three in Kluang, two each in Pontian, Batu Pahat, and Mersing, and one in Kota Tinggi, all following the same modus operandi. In the course of the operation, police seized items believed to have been used in the criminal activities, including bottles containing petrol, a car, a motorcycle, and several mobile phones.

Ab Rahaman further detailed that the syndicate had been active since February, using platforms like Facebook and TikTok to promote loan advertisements. The syndicate primarily targeted Malaysians working in Singapore, with financial transactions routed through bank accounts in the republic. Alarmingly, the loans were credited into borrowers' accounts even before any agreement on terms and conditions was reached.

The victims were subsequently coerced into repaying the loans at steep interest rates of 20 to 50 percent. Failure to meet these demands resulted in threats, paint being splashed on homes, or even arson. The ongoing investigation is being conducted under Sections 436, 435, 427, 507, and 202 of the Penal Code.