RIYADH, 13 June 2005 — An expatriate worker in Riyadh was recently robbed of his cash as well as mobile phone by an armed gang near his apartment. This is one of a variety of criminal activities that routinely go unreported. The crimes include snatching mobile phones, robbing people who are withdrawing cash from ATMs and pickpockets targeting passengers in unlicensed taxis.
The expatriate, Shahul Hameed Ghouse, a 27-year-old Indian, who lost cash and mobile phone told his story. “It was about 9 p.m. and I was walking to my apartment when someone in a white Camry, parked by the road, jumped out and demanded my wallet.”
Ghouse said he could see three men in the car and the one in the front seat was pointing a gun at him. The men fled and according to Ghouse, “all I could do was shout harami...harami”.
The Indian works as a secretary for a construction company and said he had been in the Kingdom for three years and had never encountered such a situation before.
“I am still in shock,” he said, adding that he had no time to go to the police who would be unable to help him. He said he preferred a newspaper story which might serve to warn others of possible dangers.
Two weeks ago, Raju, who works for a contracting firm in Riyadh, was robbed of SR1,600 in cash and his mobile phone when he got into an unauthorized taxi.
When Raju was getting out of the car, another passenger said he had lost some money and demanded that he be allowed to check Raju’s wallet.
“In the process of checking my wallet, the passenger snatched all I had, claiming that it was his money,” Raju said. His monthly salary is SR400 and he was on his way to send the money to his sick father for medical expenses.
