Sharp rise in illegal loans: Singapore police

Feb. 8 | AFP SINGAPORE — Illegal loans rose almost 60 percent last year as Singaporeans reeling from the economic crisis turned to loan sharks to tide them over the tough times, a senior police official said Monday. There were 18,600 cases of illegal loans made...

Singapore’s loan sharking problem

Aug. 20 | You shouldn’t criminalize people who have no choice but to turn to the loan sharks to buy food and clothes for their families. Ravi Philemon, interview with Asia Sentinel

Rise of loan sharks sparks wave of violent crime in Singapore

Aug. 12 | By Ben Bland from The Telegraph: The number of people arrested for loan shark activities and harassment doubled to more than 417 in the first half of 2009, with more than 9,000 reported cases of loan shark lending or intimidation reported to the Singapore...

Borrowing from loansharks – criminalising without providing real choice

Apr. 28 | Ravi Philemon “Yes, I have borrowed from Ah Long”, admits Rezal (not his real name).  “But I had no other choice!  My wife lost her job in the factory and now earns about $400 as a part-time dish-washer; and we cannot survive just on my pay of...