RIYADH, 22 May 2005 — Security forces are continuing their crime sweep in various parts of the capital. Last week, raids took place in the industrial part of the city as well as in the southern quarter and Umm Al-Hamam district.
Fifty-six illegal immigrants were arrested during the raid and 73 cars were confiscated. Factories and warehouses were targeted, all of which were managed by illegal residents.
Around 50 houses were raided because they were supplying illegal international call services.
Seventeen Indonesian maids who had run away from their sponsors were found; they were paying an Indonesian man SR1,500 a month and were working as maids or prostitutes. Six Ethiopians, two females and four males, were caught in a brothel in possession of alcohol and hashish.
A video store with 3,000 CDs and 7,000 video tapes which violated copyright laws were seized. Some of the tapes were pornographic. The shop was immediately fined half a million riyals and closed.
A Sudanese was arrested for possession of hashish and narcotics. Some 98 Captagon tablets were found in the possession of a Saudi. Another Saudi was arrested for possessing large amounts of hashish and alcohol. An overstayer who had forged documents which gave him Saudi nationality was arrested. Three cars previously wanted in a hit-and-run case and five stolen cars were found.
Last week, a similar sweep took place at night in Al-Oyayna in the northwest of Riyadh. Fifteen units from the Riyadh Passports Department held an inspection sweep. More than 50 illegal residents were arrested. They were all transferred to the Department of Immigration. Members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Saudi Telecom Company and the Ministry of Information were involved in the operations.
The Riyadh police said there would be more such raids in the city. “We have no time limit for when these raids will end. They will continue until we have rounded up the illegals and law violators,” the source said.
