JEDDAH, 25 October 2003 — Police have arrested a group of 28 women and nine men in the southern city of Khamis Mushayt for allegedly running a brothel, Okaz Arabic newspaper reported yesterday.
The paper identified the members of the ring as Arab nationals who “engaged in beggary in the day time and prostitution at night.” Police raided their houses after keeping them under surveillance for two weeks, it added. The gang had rented two flats in downtown Khamis Mushayt in the southern Asir region.
Police also arrested a number of customers at the two flats as well as a number of men acting as pimps.
Police confiscated a large amount of money and forged Saudi IDs from the arrested women.
Security officers were acting on a tip-off from neighbors who reported suspicious activity in the two flats.
Col. Saad Ziyad, director of the Passports Department in the Asir region, said his forces would deal with the offenders “ without leniency.” Police also arrested a group of young Saudi men and women engaged in prostitution who used fake marriage contracts to avoid suspicion.
