JUBAIL, 11 January — Police in Jubail have recently arrested a gang of five expatriates allegedly involved in burglaries and car thefts. A responsible security source said the arrests were made after a long search for the culprits.
The source pointed out that the robbers committed identical thefts during Eid holidays, adding that they had admitted most of the criminal charges against them.
The robbers had taken away television sets, videos, jewelry and other valuables from flats and buildings under construction. They also robbed some cars at the Jubail Industrial City, the source said.
Police had received complaints from citizens that robbers had broken into their houses during Eid holidays and taken away valuables when they were out of the city. It was reported that one single house had been burgled more than once especially during holidays and weekends.
The police tracked down the criminals on the basis of information they had received on them. One person admitted that he was specialized in robbing building materials and ceramics, especially from buildings under construction. Another admitted that he used to rob cars. The third said he stole tires while the remaining two said they mastered in burglary.
Lt. Gen. Asaad Abdul Kareem Al-Fareeh had said in a recent press statement that car robbery topped the list thefts in the Kingdom, followed by burglary. He said security officers were taking measures to confront this negative phenomenon, by intensifying patrol in the night. He also emphasized the need for appointing capable guards at residential districts equipped with light weapons and wireless facilities.
Meanwhile, police arrested two burglary gangs in the southern city of Khamis Mushayt, the Okaz newspaper reported yesterday. One of the gangs comprised 10 Yemeni nationals who were fully armed. During questioning, the gangsters admitted to breaking into at least 42 commercial establishments, a number of post offices and the offices of Saudi Arabian Airlines and the International Islamic Relief Organization in the city using heavy weapons and stealing money and other valuable goods.
Another gang, which comprised mainly Saudi citizens, has confessed to thefts at 40 houses in the city.
In Baha, police arrested two young men who tried to steal a car following a chase. Al-Madinah newspaper said in a report yesterday that the youths sped away in the car stolen from a Saudi, but the vehicle stalled when it hit a signal post while they tried to jump a red light. Though the thieves tried to escape by jumping out of the car, police overpowered them.
