Unlicensed Moneylending and Harassment Activities

Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs from January to September 2012 (a) what is the number of reports of unlicensed moneylending and harassment activities; and (b) what is the number of persons arrested in connection with such activities.

Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in each of the years from 2009 to 2011 and from January to September 2012 (a) what is the number of persons arrested in connection with unlicensed moneylending, harassment activities or assisting in unlicensed moneylending who are (i) debtors or (ii) persons below the age of 21; and (b) what percentage of the total number of persons so arrested did such numbers represent in the respective periods.

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Mr Teo Chee Hean: For the six-month period of January to June 2012, there were 5,228 reported cases of unlicensed moneylending and related harassment. This represents a drop of 21% when compared to the 6,642 cases reported in the same period in 2011. In contrast, the number of persons arrested rose by 22% to 1,033 persons between the same two six-month periods. This overall improvement in the situation continues the trend which commenced two years ago. Police released this information in its regular report on the crime situation in Singapore on 14 August 2012.

The number of persons arrested for unlicensed moneylending and harassment offences from 2009 to June 2012, who are of the age of 19 years old and below, is provided in the table below.

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We are not able to provide statistics on the number of debtors arrested. This is because borrowing from loansharks is not an offence, and Police do not routinely verify if the persons arrested for loanshark activities were also debtors.

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