SINGAPORE — In a significant crackdown on illegal financial activities, Singaporean authorities are investigating 112 individuals for their involvement in unlicensed moneylending operations. The suspects were apprehended during a focused enforcement operation that spanned from September 23 to 27.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the individuals under investigation range in age from 16 to 77, reflecting a broad network of participants in illegal moneylending schemes. The ongoing investigations have revealed specific roles among the suspects, including 22 who allegedly conducted harassment at debtors' residences and 47 who facilitated transactions for unlicensed moneylenders through ATM transfers.

Additionally, one individual is suspected of supplying six SIM cards to an unlicensed moneylender, a critical component in maintaining operational secrecy. The remaining 42 suspects are believed to have aided the moneylenders by opening and utilizing bank accounts under their names, thus further enabling the illegal operations.

The Singapore police continue their rigorous examination of these cases as part of a larger effort to curtail unlicensed moneylending and associated criminal activities within the city-state.