Perak Commercial Crimes Investigation Department chief Supt Lee Ewe Kiang disclosed that most of the contact numbers on banners offering illegal money lending services in Perak have been registered under drug addicts, foreigners and people with shady backgrounds.

Last year, the state police received 194 complaints related to illegal loan shark activities and made 117 arrests with four of the suspects detained under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) 1959.

The disclosure was in response to some quarters questioning the police on why no action was taken against the owners of the numbers mentioned in the banners.

Lee said Perak police viewed the issue seriously and would conduct continuous monitoring on the act of displaying banners in housing areas to arrest the culprits.

I would imagine it is much easier to carry out sting operations. The police could easily call up the numbers and pretend to be customers, and arrest the culprits when a loan is offered or payment released.

If this is done actively nationwide, banners offering illegal services will disappear from public places, which are not only eyesores but testimonies that illegal activities are given a free rein.

Perhaps there are constraints in sting operations, which may be far different than those we watch in the movies. Perhaps the police are already doing it but do not wish to publicise it.

In any case, the most convincing evidence in winning battles against illegal loan shark activities is the absence of banners promoting their services, which has brought more misery than convenience to the foolhardy.

Carol Leong is an FMT reader.

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