JEDDAH: There were 78,737 crimes recorded in Saudi Arabia last year with an increase of 8,335 crimes over the previous year, the Investigation and Prosecution Commission (IPC) said in a report released recently.
“The crimes, including aggressions against people and drug abuse, have increased by 14 percent over the same period in the year 2007,” the report said, adding that there were 21,395 drug and alcohol-related crimes.
The report said the Commission to Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Hai’a) in Khamis Mushayt uncovered the largest quantity of alcohol where an enormous pool of distillate valued at more than SR6 million was found near the Tandaha Dam.
“A committee comprising representatives of various government departments covered the pool with earth and destroyed distilling equipment around it,” the report said.
According to the report, Jeddah was the top ranked city for drug and alcohol crimes. “Most of the distilleries discovered in Jeddah were run by expatriates who were residing illegally in the Kingdom. They wanted to make quick money before going back home,” said spokesman of the Hai’a in Makkah Salim Al-Sarwani told Arab News.
According to the IPC’s report, there were 15,540 crimes of assault, 27,888 crimes of rape or sexual harassment and 3,014 financial crimes.
The report said Jeddah also topped other cities in assault crimes with 4,556 such crimes last year, an increase of 2,791 crimes over the previous year. Riyadh reported 2,438 assaults with an increase of 16.4 percent. Jazan registered 182 of these crimes showing a decline of 20.2 percent.
The report also said there were 143 suicide attempts reported in the Kingdom with an increase of 8.3 percent. The Eastern Province topped other regions with 49 suicide attempts while Riyadh came in second place with 20 such crimes.
According to the report, Qassim province ranked first place in financial crimes with 862 cases. This was followed with Asir province (806) and Riyadh province (380). These cases involved 3,833 suspects of whom 959 suspects were in Asir, 910 in Qassim and 676 in Riyadh.
Makkah city registered the lowest number of crimes among the Kingdom’s larger metropoli.
“The crime rate in the holy city is within a normal level,” said Makkah police spokesman Zaki Al-Rihaili. “It has a lower rate than the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, but because of its sanctity its crimes are usually over-reported.”
