Loan Shark Gang Pocketed $430 Million as It Drove 89 to Suicide

The predatory lending of a Northwest China gang led to the criminals illegally pocketing 2.8 billion yuan ($428 million) and driving 89 people to commit suicide, according to a recent state media report.

China’s law enforcement bodies have been cracking down on such practices for several years, going after criminal loan sharks and the big data companies that have helped them gather borrowers’ personal information.