RIYADH, 24 March 2007 — The Interior Ministry announced yesterday that it received strong evidence against a suspect who was arrested for killing a security officer at the Grand Mosque in Makkah on the 27th of Ramadan last year. In a statement, the ministry’s spokesman said the suspect was detained in Jeddah for illegally using a gun, five months before the Makkah incident. The alleged attacker had hidden his gun on a mountain in Baha, the official said, adding that the man was influenced by the deviant ideology.
Car Chase Results in Crash, Officer Dead
JUBAIL, 24 March 2007 — A police officer was killed and his partner seriously injured after their car crashed during a police chase, Al-Riyadh daily reported yesterday. One man in the car that the police were chasing was seriously injured. Two other passengers escaped with minor inuries. The chase started after police got suspicious about a car and asked the driver to stop. Instead, the driver took off but during the chase that followed he suddenly stopped in the middle of the road causing the police car to crash into his vehicle.
Seven Years for Identity Theft
DAMMAM, 24 March 2007 — A court in Alkhobar sentenced a resident to seven years in jail for identity theft. The man was found guilty of using a Saudi man’s identity and stealing more than SR200,000 from a number of people, Al-Watan daily reported yesterday. The man preyed on his victims inside banks and stole their credit cards to withdraw money.
Police organized a task force to track down the man. He was arrested with more than SR50,000 in possession at a furnished apartment where he lived.
