ALOR SETAR: Police have detained five suspects, including a married couple believed to be members of "Geng Atan", who acted as runners for an illegal moneylending syndicate and were actively involved in criminal intimidation around Sungai Petani.
Kedah police chief Comm Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said police received a report on April 16 from a 27-year-old man, who claimed that his vehicle parked in front of his house was set on fire after he failed to repay a loan obtained online.
"A series of raids and arrests were conducted starting April 26, leading to the arrest of four men and one woman aged between 31 and 43 years old. Initial screenings found that all suspects were positive for drugs and had prior criminal records," he told a press conference here Tuesday (May 5).
He said further investigations revealed that all suspects acted as hired executors to carry out criminal acts such as delivering warning notes, splashing paint and burning victims' vehicles.
"They received instructions from a 'mastermind' who is still at large. After receiving orders, they would carry out their respective tasks and were paid between RM300 and RM600 depending on the type of criminal act committed," he said.
Comm Adzli said the group, which has been active since February, was also found to have recruited other individuals, including drug addicts, to carry out these activities and the arrest of the five suspects had enabled them to solve 11 reported cases.
He said police are tracking down two more suspects believed to be members of the group, and the case is being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951, Sections 435 and 427 of the Penal Code, as well as Sections 12(2) and 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
"I would like to advise the public not to borrow from loan sharks. For example, in this case, the victim applied for a RM200 loan but only received RM150 from the loan shark. Although he had fully repaid the loan, the suspects continued to harass him. This is the consequence of borrowing from loan sharks," he said.
In an unrelated case, he said police arrested a 45-year-old local man who worked as a mechanic and seized two pistols, two air rifles, one imitation pistol, live ammunition, steel pellets and several other items in a 12.30am raid at a vehicle repair premises in Baling on May 1.
"Preliminary investigations found that the suspect purchased the firearms from a friend in a neighbouring country, while the air rifles were self-assembled. The suspect claimed that all the firearms were for his personal collection," he said.
He added that a urine test found the suspect positive for methamphetamine and he has been remanded until this Thursday (May 7) for investigations under Section 7 of the Firearms Act 1971, as well as Section 8(a) and Section 36 of the Arms Act 1960. - Bernama
