Police said the foreign laborer was going to work when he was stopped by a Saudi who told him that he was a policeman and wanted to look at his identity papers.

When the foreigner emptied his pockets the man quickly grabbed his mobile phone and ran away in his white sedan car. Police did not say if the Saudi was posing as a uniformed or undercover officer.

Police urge foreign residents not to be fooled by people acting alone claiming to be officials.