House in M’sia set on fire by loan sharks, but they got the wrong address

Loan sharks set house in Malayaia on fire, note addressed to different address

Three households in Penang were caught in a terrifying situation when a loan shark reportedly set a house on fire, resulting in all three properties being razed.

However, it turned out they targeted the wrong address, said one of the affected residents.

Man finds petrol, paint & a note on his & neighbour’s houses

The resident, a user named Mohamad Asrul, shared the harrowing experience in a Facebook post on Wednesday (25 June).

He said petrol stains and splashes of paint were seen around his and his neighbour’s houses on 16 June.

Also found was a half-empty bottle of petrol and a note pasted on a gate.

The handwritten note contained a woman’s name and personal details and warned her that her house would be set ablaze if she did not repay her loan.

Resident makes police report

Mr Asrul immediately went to the police station in Tasek Gelugor to make a report.

He was told to wait for one hour as they were changing shift, he said.

When he made the report, he told the police that the note was addressed to No. 42, but his and his neighbour’s house was No. 5 and No. 3 respectively.

He was instructed to return home so the police could come by and take photos for evidence.

However, nobody showed up, he claimed.

5 cars & 4 motorcycles destroyed after loan sharks set fire to house in Malaysia

About a week later, in the early hours of Tuesday (24 June) morning, Mr Asrul was awakened by his neighbours shaking his gate and sounding their car horns.

It turned out that his house was on fire, along with his neighbours’ houses.

Thanks to their quick thinking, he managed to escape by climbing over the fence.

But the fire spread rapidly, gutting all three connected homes. Five cars and four motorcycles were also destroyed in the blaze.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Mr Asrul later found out that an explosive had been thrown at his neighbour’s house, though none of the three houses affected were at the address mentioned in the note.

Investigations ongoing into suspected arson case

The local police chief confirmed that one of the homeowners had filed a report claiming the fire was the result of arson by loan sharks, reported The New Straits Times.

The police are investigating the case and are waiting for a report from the Fire and Rescue Department’s forensic unit so a more detailed probe can be conducted.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of fire and operations John Sagun Francis said they were alerted to the fire at 4.52am and extinguished it by 5.59am, reported Sinar Harian.

Investigations into the exact cause of the fire and the individuals responsible are ongoing, he added.

Also read: Loan shark runner throws petrol bomb at victim’s house in M’sia, sends video of attack as warning

Loan shark runner throws petrol bomb at victim’s house in M’sia, sends video of attack as warning

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at [email protected].

Featured image adapted from Mohamad Asrul on Facebook.