Loansharks set fire to front yard of family home, petrol bombs car, but gets the wrong house

A woman who allegedly owes loansharks money became the target of threatening activities, although those sharks who wanted to intimidate her into paying up her loan got the wrong house.

A man, presumed to have been sent by the loansharks, was spotted on CCTV cameras setting fire to the front yard. He petrol-bombed a parked car, resulting in damages worth S$3,000.

It was reported that the fire damaged the house’s electric front door and air conditioner compressor. The electricity supply to the house has also been cut off, making the family unable to return home.

The family also saw a piece of paper left in front of their house by the alleged loansharks demanding payment. However, the name mentioned in the note was actually their neighbour, a woman who works in Singapore.

At that time, the family was unaware of their neighbour’s debt. They reported the incident to the police and learned that the woman borrowed a large sum of money, which she claimed was already paid for, but the loansharks continued to harass her.

The homeowner’s wife, Hu Qiushuang, told China Press in a press conference on Dec 12 that at the time of the incident, the only people at home were her 18-year-old son, Chen Zibin, and his 15-year-old brother.

The family in Batu Pahat, Johor Bahru, was shocked to hear an explosion at the front of their house followed by a fire in their front yard.

After discovering the fire, they escaped through the back door as they could not open the electric front door. A neighbour saw the commotion and called the fire brigade, who eventually extinguished the fire.

Ms Hu said that the mix-up by the loansharks could have happened because her home didn’t have a number on display. The surrounding trees might have also made it difficult for them to see the correct address. /TISG

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