JEDDAH, 22 January 2006 — Jeddah police have denied rumors that some thieves, impersonating health officials, entered homes, gave sedative injections to the heads of families and then escaped with valuables.
“We have not received any information about such thefts in the city,” an official source at Jeddah police told Arab News referring to the rumors spread by mobile text messages and the Internet.
The messages warned the public against potential thieves claiming to be government officials wanting to spray antiviral mist inside houses to ward off the avian flu virus.
Hamid Al-Harbi, a Saudi, told Arab News that he had received a text message from his friend on the rumor. “Soon after receiving the message I contacted my wife to warn her about the possibility of such criminals knocking at the door,” he said.
Yasser Al-Ghamdi, director general of health in Makkah, fortified the police comments by denying reports that his officials were visiting houses to spray avian flu antiviral.
“Our health campaigns are well known to the public and we carry them out through health centers. Security officers also follow up such campaigns and provide necessary support,” he explained.
Ghamdi said health officials involved in such campaigns are provided with identity cards that allow them to visit houses without causing any trouble. He said spraying antiviral mist inside homes would have no effect.
