Three officers linked to loan, betting syndicate

At least three police officers were taken in for questioning yesterday by the city's anti-corruption watchdog over suspected loan-sharking and illegal soccer-gambling activities.

Acting on intelligence, officers from the Independent Commission Against Corruption visited a number of police stations across the city between Sunday morning and yesterday afternoon.

An ICAC source said anti-graft officers searched lockers of a number of policemen who were suspected of links to a loan-sharking syndicate, which was also engaged in illegal soccer gambling.

The source said at least three police officers, stationed at the North Point and Aberdeen police stations, were taken away for further questioning at the ICAC's headquarters in North Point. The homes of the three officers were searched, and documents and other materials were collected and also taken to the graft-busters' head office on Java Road.

The source added that some of the officers involved were on the force's watch list as they had been found to have unmanageable debts.

Some officers had used fake information to borrow money from finance companies, the source said, adding that the ICAC was still investigating the case. The officers have not been formally arrested nor have charges been laid.

Both the ICAC and police refused to comment on the case.