RIYADH, 31 December 2005 — A bag snatcher in the country’s capital learned a hard lesson in the art of negotiation when he tried to hold a woman’s purse hostage, the Al-Madinah daily reported. The thief grabbed the woman’s bag containing money and a cell phone. He called the victim in an attempt to negotiate a ransom for the return for the items. The woman offered double the amount of money in the purse for the return of her items. Apparently, the thief was unaware that police might be waiting for him at the rendezvous point. He was immediately arrested when he arrived to exchange the stolen items for the cash.
