MUAR: They entered the country to work as carpenters earning about RM2,500 per month at a furniture factory here almost two years ago.
During the day, the six foreigners were involved in making furniture but after that, they continued with their lucrative “part-time” jobs offering loans to their fellow countrymen who needed to send money to their families in Bangladesh.
A source said the illegal loan sharks started providing loans of between RM100 and RM2,000 at a monthly interest rate of about 4%.
It is learnt that the six suspects were able to provide loans to dozens of Bangladeshi workers.
“They will usually give the loan and then take control of the workers’ ATM cards and make withdrawals when their salaries are banked into their bank accounts,” the source said, adding that police uncovered their activities during a special operation to nab loan sharks nationwide under Ops Vulture.
The six Bangladeshis were among about a dozen loan sharks nabbed in Johor during the special operation recently.
Police arrested one of the suspects as he was using another worker’s ATM card to make a withdrawal.
The suspect then led police to the other suspects where at least RM170,000, mobile phones and 187 ATM cards were seized.
A Bukit Aman official who confirmed the arrest said all the loan sharks arrested in Johor were being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951, which provides for a maximum fine of RM1mil or a jail term of up to five years, or both, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, in another case, the owner of a nursery and electrical shop lost more than RM150,000 after falling for a scam to import bonsai trees from Taiwan.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the victim, a 42-year-old local woman, reported the incident on Nov 15.
“She alleged that she lost RM159,737 after being deceived by a local woman who offered assistance in obtaining the import permit.
“The victim first received the offer via a phone call on Sept 14. Believing the suspect’s claims, she agreed to proceed with the process,” he said.
ACP Raub added that from Sept 18 to Oct 9, the victim made seven online transactions totalling RM99,737 to two different bank accounts and paid an additional RM60,000 in cash.
“After completing the payments, the suspect blocked the victim’s phone number, making it impossible for her to recover her money,” he said.
Police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries the punishment of imprisonment for up to 10 years, whipping and a fine, if convicted.
