Police spotted the suspect behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of Yishun Ring Road on Monday and found a blue marker and a bottle of blue paint in a bag he carried. Further checks in the suspect's car uncovered three more bottles filled with black and blue paint.

Initial investigations suggest that the suspect was involved in harassment incidents islandwide. In these cases, the suspect would splash paint at debtors' homes and use a marker to scrawl graffiti on the walls. The man claimed that he had worked for the unlicensed moneylender in order to pay off his loan.

First-time offenders found guilty of assisting an unlicensed moneylender by harassing the borrower and besetting the residence face a fine of between $4,000 and $40,000 or a jail term of up to three years, or both. He may also be caned.