A group of Italian loan sharks
charged up to 200% interest rates, police said after making five
arrests at Desio north of Milan Monday.
The usurers allegedly threatened their victims verbally and also
beat them up if they failed to make their payments, police said.
At least 10 people were preyed on by the gang after taking out
loans to repay debts, police said after dismantling what they
called a "consortium of usurers".
During the probe police raided flats in Milan occupied by
Libyan families linked to Italian criminals, police said.
As police moved in the occupants threw their cash and gold
Rolexes from the windows to stop the police from finding them,
judicial sources said.
But the police collected 50,000 euros in cash, post-dated
cheques for around 5,000 euros, and Rolex, Tag Heuer and Janvier
timepieces worth around 30,000 euros, as well as gold jewellery.
A number of alleged victims came forward after the raid,
including a 37-year-old man from Limbiate near Milan, a small
businessman who recounted the violence he had suffered after
getting into economic difficulties because of a cocaine habit
and his separation from his wife, and many others.
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