Four men were arrested for suspected involvement in two separate unlicensed moneylending cases over the past two days.

They are aged between 29 and 52.

In the first case, a 43-year-old man was arrested on June 23 for allegedly using a bicycle chain to lock the main gate of a debtor's home and pasting a debtor's note on the main door. This happened near Sirat Road.

The second case happened between June 23 and 24. Three men were arrested for suspected involvement in helping unlicensed moneylending syndicates to obtain Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) to perform ATM transactions related to unlicensed moneylending activities.

Police seized cash amounting to $650, 14 ATM cards and three handphones in connection to the syndicate.

First time offenders found guilty of loanshark harassment face a jail term of up to five years and a fine of between $5,000 and $50,000. They also face between three and six strokes of the cane.

First time offenders found guilty of being an unlicensed moneylender or helping in unlicensed moneylending can be fined between $30,000 and $300,000 and be imprisoned for up to four years. They can also be sentenced to up to six strokes of the cane.