Telegraph.co.uk, 12 Aug 2009
Singapore is facing a rare violent crime wave driven by a surge in harassment by loan sharks since the global financial crisis hit the strictly-governed city-state last year.
The number of people arrested for loan shark activities and harassment doubled to more than 417 in the first half of 2009, with more than 9,000 reported cases of loan shark lending or intimidation reported to the Singapore Police Force.
Contraband smuggling has also hit a six-year high, with an 80 per cent increase in the number of weapons brought into Singapore illegally, including the knuckle-dusters, replica guns and knives that are often carried by loan shark gangs.
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