JEDDAH: It’s a common ruse in Saudi Arabia. A foreign worker is walking on a secluded street when men dressed in Saudi garb pull up in a vehicle claiming to be undercover cops. They begin making demands. They might ask for the worker’s iqama, or they might even say they need to search his apartment for drugs or alcohol. The men might flash a card with a photo, but the worker is often illiterate in Arabic — the card could be official police identification or it could simply be a family ID card. The worker is on the spot and he is scared. He’s heard stories of undercover police and he doesn’t know his rights. While he worries about what is happening, the men might demand a bribe to leave the worker alone. Or they may run off with the worker’s iqama and contact information in order to call him later to demand a ransom for the return of the residency permit.
As countless foreign workers face harassment by crooks posing as undercover police officers, Jeddah police spokesman Col. Misfar Al-Juaid said that the number of such crimes could be reduced if more workers were aware of how Saudi authorities operate. And above all else, he says foreign residents should not hand their iqamas over to someone who has not definitively identified himself as an official. In fact, it is illegal for anyone except the authorities to demand to have a foreigner hand over his or her iqama.
“It’s one’s right to request proper police identification,” said Al-Juaid, adding that undercover police officers do not randomly approach residents requesting to see their identification. “If they do there must be an investigation into that individual or maybe police are pursuing a unknown criminal in the area. In most cases police officers work in groups and are not made up of one or two individuals,” Al-Juaid said.
The police colonel said that if a person is confronted with someone who claims to be an undercover police officer he should assess the situation carefully. And most important, unless confronted with armed bandits or physical threats, one should assert his or her rights. This means demanding proper identification and making note of descriptions. “If one has done nothing wrong one should not be afraid,” he added.
Al-Juaid pointed out that if a real undercover officer stops you on the street, he will be accompanied by fellow officers and will most likely be pursuing a fleeing suspect. In that situation there should be signs of pursuit — sirens in the neighborhood and other activity.
“You should be suspicious of people in plain clothes in quiet areas stopping someone for no apparent reason,” he said, pointing out that real Saudi undercover police typically do not dress in Saudi garb because they’re trying not to look like they’re Saudi. Crooks posing as undercover Saudi police, on the other hand, may be dressed like Saudis thinking they are more convincing as undercover officials if they wear thobes and headdresses.
Al-Juaid suggests you pay special attention to the interior of the vehicle because undercover cops will have special equipment inside, much like what you would find in a police cruiser. “Make a point of memorizing face description and the license plates if the impostor is driving a vehicle,” said the officer.
People who are confronted with such criminals should report it by calling the 999 emergency number and provide as much information as possible. Al-Juaid pointed out that police impersonators are “rare,” especially impostors in real Saudi police uniforms.
“The impostor’s uniform would not be identical to that of uniforms worn by policemen,” he said. “In a few cases that were reported the impostors were wearing plain brown uniforms without badges.”
