Gold Coast police have cracked a major loan shark racket with a group of men charged, accused of extorting local businessmen.
Police raided five homes across the city today, arresting four men as part of Operation Juliet Crime.
Among those charged was Christoph Bertomeu – believed to be the ringleader of the organisation – which allegedly targeted struggling locals offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in high interest loans.
Police have identified around eight victims so far.
“Eventually those people obviously couldn’t meet those sorts of repayments.. whereby threats of violence and seizure of property was put upon these people.”
