JOHOR BARU — Four individuals, including three men and one woman, were arrested in Johor for their involvement in a loan shark syndicate that used criminal intimidation to target victims. The suspects, aged between 17 and 46, were nabbed in raids across Johor Baru and Selangor on January 1.

The group allegedly vandalized homes with paint as a form of intimidation for unpaid loans, charging RM450 per job. Police seized mobile phones, paint containers, threat notes, and other crime-related items during the raids.

The syndicate operated mainly on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, offering high-interest loans. If borrowers failed to repay, the syndicate resorted to tactics like paint vandalism to pressure them. The loans were often targeted at Malaysian workers in Singapore, with transactions managed through bank accounts there.

With these arrests, Johor police have solved 11 similar cases across various districts including Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri, Kulai, Batu Pahat, and Pontian.