Singapore Police: Man arrested for loanshark harassment after bicycle lock found on Sembawang Drive gate

SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old man has been arrested for suspected loanshark harassment after Police were alerted to a residential unit along Sembawang Drive where the gate had been affixed with a bicycle lock on August 16, 2026, at about 8:45 p.m.

Through follow-up investigations aided by Police camera images, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the suspect’s identity and arrested him the following day. Preliminary investigations also linked him to a second loanshark harassment case at a residential unit along Jurong East Street 13.

The man was charged in court on August 19, 2026, under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first-time offenders, the offence carries a fine of between S$5,000 and S$50,000, imprisonment of up to five years, and caning of up to six strokes.

The bicycle lock method where they affix a lock to a debtor’s gate is a form of harassment designed to prevent residents from freely entering or leaving their home, causing distress and inconvenience without requiring the harasser to be present at the time the victim discovers it.

The Police reiterated their zero-tolerance stance toward loanshark harassment and reminded members of the public not to work with or assist loansharks in any capacity. Anyone with information on loansharking activities can call the Police at 999.

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