WADI AL-DAWASER, 26 March 2007 — Police here have arrested two women suspected to be part of an all-women gang that kidnapped two young girls after sedating them, the daily Al-Yaum reported yesterday.

Al-Jazia, 9, was one of the girls who were kidnapped while outside her home around 8 p.m. on Saturday. Her family said they did not realize she was missing because it was time for Isha prayer and they were busy preparing for the prayer.

The girl told Al-Yaum that her kidnappers sprayed her face with a substance that left her unconscious. They tied her hands and legs and taped her mouth to muffle her screams.

“They took me into a narrow alleyway and into an old house where she found another girl who was also kidnapped,” said Al-Jazia. “Then they put us on their backs and walked for a long time. I couldn’t scream because of the tape on my mouth,” she said.

After a while the other girl was able to scream when the tape covering her mouth fell. Hearing her screams people hurried to their aid, she said.

The kidnappers then abandoned the girls and ran away. “The other girl went with some of the people who had come to help us. A man who knows my father and uncle took me home,” said Al-Jazia.

“We didn’t notice that she had disappeared because we were praying. After the prayers we spent two hours looking for her but with no joy. Later we were informed that she was back home and safe. We called the police and they asked us to come to their office to give a statement,” her uncle said.

Al-Jazia said that she had seen her kidnappers begging in the neighborhood. Her uncle added that he saw a jeep come every morning to drop beggars at major intersections. “These are part of gangs that work in an organized manner. I don’t know what they planned to do with Al-Jazia,” he said.

Sami Al-Shwairik, a spokesman for the local police, said, “As soon as we received a call about the incident we started a massive search. Two women were arrested and have been charged with kidnapping after Al-Jazia identified one of them.”

Police are still looking for at least three other women involved in the case.

Bander Al-Dawasri, who helped the girl return to her family, said, “The area is full of overstayers who pose a serious security threat. The authorities need to to look into it and increase police patrols.”