“The eight individuals were operating in an organized fashion and robbing stores in the southern part of the city. They were also involved in pickpocketing,” said First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, adding that they were able to avoid detection for quite some time.

“Some of them have admitted to officers that they would crowd around people in front of mosques and in shopping malls, and then pick their pockets. At times, some of them would pretend to fall and when someone would come to help them, another member of the gang would move forward and pick the pocket of the person helping out,” he said.

He said many of their victims were Yemenis. If convicted, the gang members would be sent to jail and then deported.

Meanwhile, Jeddah police arrested a man in his 20s who would break into cars and trucks in the north of the city to steal from them.

“A passerby spotted the individual breaking into a car and informed the police. Investigators were embedded in the area and were able to eventually catch the man,” said Al-Bouq.