African gang of thieves arrested

MADINAH, 10 September — Police have arrested an African gang involved in stealing money and other valuables from residential villas and rest houses in Madinah, Okaz reported yesterday. The paper said the gang burgled 30 villas and 27 rest houses in the city during the summer holidays. The gang members acknowledged that they had broken into the villa of Mohammed Saif, secretary-general of the Madinah Provincial Council, while he was abroad on holiday with his family, the paper said. Meanwhile, police are searching for an Indian driver for allegedly fleeing with a truck carrying 600 bags of rice worth SR57,200.