Police remove over 1,000 ‘Ah Long’ banners in Manjung

LUMUT: Police pulled down and seized 1,246 ‘ Ah Long’ or loan shark banners along roadsides and in housing estates in Sitiawan and Seri Manjung, near here, in ‘Op Vulture’ on Monday.

Manjung police chief, ACP Tengku Mohd Zailan Tengku Ahmad Shah said the operation which began at 3pm involved 15 officers and members of the district police, with the assistance of the Manjung Municipal Council.

“The operation was aimed at preventing the public from being duped by illegal money lenders with the loans offered.

“All the banners which advertise such loans were removed and we will try to trace the owners of the phone numbers provided on the banners and refer these to the relevant authorities for further action,” he said after visiting the children’s ward at Seri Manjung Hospital, yesterday.

Tengku Mohd Zailan said the operation was also part of efforts to curb crime which could threaten public safety in the district.

“Some individuals persuaded into taking up the illegal loan offers but unable to settle them, might be driven to commit theft and house break-ins to get the money to pay up the loans.”

He said police had also received cases including the latest in which someone claimed that he had been harassed and threatened when unable to repay the ‘ah long’ loan.

“Actually, many are trapped in this problem but they dare not come forward,” he added.

Tengku Mohd Zailan said the increase in the number of ‘ah long’ banners seized this year also showed that there was demand for loans from unlicensed money lenders.

He noted that last year, 904 such banners were seized in 90 operations conducted while since January until now, 1,471 were seized in 14 operations. — Bernama