FOUR individuals were detained at a roadblock in Petaling Jaya yesterday on suspicion of being involved in blackmailing a private company worker who obtained a loan from a loan shark.

Petaling Jaya district police chief Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said the suspects, aged between 26 and 28, were detained as a result of a complaint lodged by the victim who thought he had successfully settled his loan 10 years ago.

Nik Ezanee said the 31-year-old male victim had reportedly taken a personal loan of RM500 from a private company believed to be licensed in 2012.

“The victim who was asked to make a repayment of RM1,150 a month for a year, also asked for his automated teller machine card held by the company to be cancelled because he believed he had successfully settled the loan in 2013,” Nik Ezanee said in a statement today.

He said the victim then made a personal loan in 2016 on a social site thinking it was a cooperative.

He said the victim was then contacted by a marketing agent and friend who took him to the same company he had taken a loan from 10 years ago.

“The agents said the victim still had arrears of RM8,000 that needed to be settled. The victim was then threatened to repay the balance within a stipulated time.

“Police checked previous records and found one of the four suspects was wanted in connection with an earlier loan shark case,” he said.

Following that, one of the suspects was remanded for four days starting today while another suspect was remanded under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951. – Bernama, January 23, 2021.