wmlro.com - Singapore's loan shark cases double
In Singapore, loan sharks are known as ah longs. They lend money at extortionate rates, and then use a wide range of intimidation to ensure repayment. The city state, famous for its low crime rate, is taking strong steps to curb the problem - complaints have almost doubled from a year ago.
Yesterday, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told a meeting of police officers that illegal money lending - and the intimidation and violence that results from it - are not to be tolerated.
He said that the city will install more closed circuit TV (it is, to the surprise of many who imagine it to be a heavily restricted society, far less "surveilled" than cities such as London in the installation of CCTV) and - possible - even making it an offence to borrow from an unlicensed money lender.
But he is worried about other things, too. He sees the new "integrated resorts" - that will include hotels, restaurants, entertainment and gambling) as having the potential to increase crimes such as "money laundering, cheating, forgery and prostitution."
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