JOHOR BAHRU – Fourteen individuals from various Ah Long syndicates have been arrested by police in seven separate raids in the state and Melaka in September and early this month.
Johor Police chief Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said six of the suspects were local men, aged between 25 and 35 years, who were arrested at five different locations in Johor Bahru and Ayer Hitam, Batu Pahat from Oct 15 and Oct 18.
The arrest of the six men were the result of police investigations into a viral video on social media on Oct 3 that revealed three Youtubers who became victims to Ah Long schemes.
“Four of the suspects had previous criminal records relating to gross violence, fraud and drug offences.
“Also seized during their arrests were two vehicles, namely a Honda and Proton Wira, an airsoft gun’ pistol, a machete and 67 books and pieces of paper listing names and loan values,” he told reporters at a press conference today.
Ayob Khan said the remaining eight suspects were arrested in an apartment in Bukit Baru Dalam, Melaka and a shop in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru on Sept 29 and Oct 12 respectively.
All of them are local men, aged between 25 and 44 years.
Also seized were 31 mobile phones of various models, nine bank cards, 17 bank slips, RM62,500 in cash and 300 Singapore dollars.
According to Ayob, the Ah Long syndicates’ modus operandi include threats, splashing red paint and arson to scare their victims as well as targetting Malaysians working in Singapore.
“The syndicates also advertise their loan offers through Facebook, requesting the victim’s detailed information including a guarantor, not revealing the terms of the loan and instructing the borrower to take a photo of the money given along with their home location to ensure that the address given by the borrower was true,” he said.
— BERNAMA
