IPOH: Police have detained a married couple in connection with promoting illegal loan shark or 'ah long' activities and online gambling at the Perak Stadium Ramadan Bazaar, here.
Perak Police chief, Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, said the 54-year-old man and his 53-year-old wife, from Sitiawan in Manjung, were identified as the masterminds behind the viral case and were arrested at 12.45am in Sitiawan.
He said the police discovered the viral video last Friday showing the actions of a disabled person who was advised by the Ramadan bazaar trader to leave after he was found promoting gambling and loan shark activities.
Mohd Yusri said the result of the investigation found that the man admitted to visiting the Ramadan bazaar with two other men whom he hired to distribute and promote his loan shark business which has operated since 2022.
He said the two men with him at the bazaar during the incident were disabled persons who were hired to distribute promotion cards for the illegal activities for RM30 each.
"Acting on information, the husband and wife suspects, who are the real masterminds behind the case, were successfully traced and arrested, with the police also seizing a mobile phone, a list of loan recipients, a car, and 120 cards advertising online gambling and loan shark services.
An examination based on the seized list found that 90 percent of the loan recipients from the suspects are those residing around the Manjung district.
"The suspects are believed to have done this to expand their business by seeking new borrowers," he said in a statement today.
Mohd Yusri said the suspects also admitted that their illegal loan business imposed high interest rates and had to be paid on a daily basis.
He said the investigation is ongoing, including to track down two other suspects believed to be involved to assist in the investigation under Section 4(1)(g) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951.
Earlier, it was reported that police were actively tracking down three men who were promoting illegal loan shark or "ah long" activities and online gambling at the Ramadan bazaar area based on a 1.01-minute video transmitted by one of the traders at the bazaar.
Earlier, the owner of the Facebook account, Oppa Zuzu Kitchen, believed to be a trader at the Perak Stadium Ramadan Bazaar, uploaded a video showing a man distributing mini flyers advertising gambling and loan shark activities.
According to the description in the video, the individual promoting the activities was said to have been advised, but remained stubborn by continuing to promote the activities at the bazaar, especially to the traders there.