Kelantan police have reopened more than 100 previously closed cases involving illegal moneylenders following threats believed to be linked to an intensified crackdown on loan shark syndicates in the state.
State police chief Datuk Yusoff Mamat said he had ordered a review of cases involving intimidation and harassment of borrowers that were earlier classified as “no further action”.
Between January and November last year, 72 cases were reopened. The number rose to more than 100 by December after new investigations uncovered prima facie evidence.
Yusoff said loan shark victims were not only from rural communities, but also included salaried workers who had fallen into severe debt traps and suffered serious emotional distress.
“Some of them are pushed to the brink. Imagine borrowing RM40,000, paying back RM200,000, yet the debt is still not settled. That is cruel,” he said.
He added that eradicating illegal moneylending was one of his key priorities, alongside tackling drug-related crimes and strengthening border security.
According to Yusoff, many of the loan shark syndicates operating in Kelantan were based outside the state, including in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Penang, but relied on local criminal networks to enforce their operations.
These groups typically resort to acts such as splashing paint, vandalising property and issuing open threats — offences that fall under commercial crime.
Yusoff said the recent threats against him were believed to be retaliation for sustained police action against the syndicates.
“I am not afraid of any threats. We will continue to investigate every angle,” he said.
