PUTRAJAYA: Six individuals, including three women, suspected of being involved in illegal pawnbroking, were arrested in five raids across Selangor, Melaka and Perlis with the seizure of an estimated RM200,000 in loot.
Head of investigation and monitoring in the Community Credit Control Division of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), ACP Mohd Fauzi Hassan said all the six local individuals, in their 20s to 50s, were arrested in raids carried out in May and August, as a result of public information and intelligence.
He said jewellery including rings, bracelets and earrings worth RM146,050, gold weighing tools, gold testing acid, RM14,539.55 in cash, as well as pawnbroker ‘receipts’ and recycled loan agreement documents were also seized in the raid.
“Five of the six persons, who are believed to be employees of the premises, will be charged in court soon. The case is being investigated under Section 7(2) Pawnbrokers Act 1972 for running a pawnbroker business without a licence,“ he said here today.
He said the premises, which had been operating openly for six months to three years, had deceived the authorities by displaying signboards for the pawning of gold accessories.
Mohd Fauzi, who said there are 789 licensed pawnbrokers nationwide, also advised the public to use the i-Gadaian application to find pawnbrokers licensed and registered with the KPKT throughout the country. - Bernama
