DAMMAM, 17 March 2006 — Criminal acts are deplorable anywhere. Generally, when someone is the victim of a crime, the first instinct is to call the police. Finding the culprits in a crime such as the theft of a mobile handset may not be at the top of the list when it comes to assigning police manpower. However, when the authorities are aware that a rash of robberies have occurred in a certain area, they tend to give the matter greater attention.
Arab News has received reports of muggings, thefts and assaults in Dammam and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, in nearly all the cases, the victims have chosen not to report the incidents to the police. Many excuses have been put forward for such inaction. Some victims cite language barriers and lack of time. In other cases there is a belief that the police can do little to recover the property, so the victims feel that reporting the crime is wasted effort. The end result is that with no deterrent action in force, the criminals are becoming bolder and more violent.
Have the authorities been able to effectively halt the increase in crime? It has been difficult for them to make headway on the problem. This is in part because the police haven’t been empowered by the victims with the necessary information to use to target the criminals. Even worse, the silence on the part of the victims is preventing the general public from learning about the crimes. Ignorant of the increased risks, people are not able to judge the threat level adequately and they do not take protective action until it is too late.
Mobile phone theft is growing in popularity among the snatch and run criminals. All the thugs need is opportunity. Stand on the curb, display your handset prominently and in a short while, criminals on bikes will pass by and relieve you of your telephone.
“It is terrible that so few people report crimes to the police,” said Indian national P.A. Hameed Padubidri. “This leaves the criminals to operate with impunity. On Jan. 23 at 8.15 p.m. I was standing outside near my company in Al-Adamah area. I had just taken my mobile out of my pocket and started to talk to my friend when a young man rushed at me and snatched the phone. He escaped on his bike.”
Both Padubidri on foot and a Saudi in a vehicle attempted to catch the thief but their efforts were in vain. Padubidri did go immediately to the Junubiya police station. The police were quite concerned and opened an official file on the case. Padubidri spoke with the police about the rising numbers of such thefts. The officers advised him to encourage others to report any criminal activity so that the police could increase their vigilance appropriately. One stolen handset is unfortunate. Many stolen handsets are an indication of something more serious. The sale of stolen goods may be used to purchase illegal drugs or even to finance other crimes, which leads to further pain in society.
Thugs apparently are not satisfied with stealing used mobile phones. These criminals have taken to grabbing new handsets from shops. A telecom shop on 14th Street in Dammam was recently the scene of such an incident. Two Indian salesmen at the shop were showing a handset to a young man when he made off with the phone.
“We never thought a mobile mugging case could happen inside our shop,” said Abdulrazzag, the shop’s sales manager. “It was like something out of a movie. A man wearing a thobe came into the shop and asked about the prices of different phones. Finally, he requested to see the ‘Khayyal Mobile,’ worth SR1,025. When we were demonstrating the set, out of the blue he grabbed it from our hands and ran away. We quickly realized that this had been a well-organized crime. Outside our shop a white Corolla had been waiting with the side door wide open. Inside were three young men. When the traffic light turned green, the driver honked the horn. That was the signal for the man inside to grab the phone, run out and jump in the car. The car sped away. We chased after it, but on foot it was useless. The number plate from the back of the car had been removed, so we didn’t even have a license plate number to give to the police, although we did call them immediately. Mobile handsets are sold at a low margin, which means that such a loss for us is big. Further crimes such as this could force the shop to close.”
In addition to the handset thefts, there are increasing reports of expatriates being beaten and robbed by gangs operating unlicensed taxis. Many expatriates take rides from such operators due to the lack of public transportation. The result of such a decision can be tragic.
On Feb. 19 at about 9:20 a.m., Shibu Purushotthaman, from Ernakulam in Kerala, India dropped his son at school. He then got into an unlicensed taxi on the Dammam-Alkhobar Highway to return to the company where he worked as an accountant. He never arrived there.
The taxi made a diversion and Purushotthaman was set upon by the two other passengers in the car. They were armed with knives and did not hesitate to used them. Purushotthaman managed to get the door of the car open and was pushed out into the street. A Saudi at the scene called police and Purushotthaman was quickly taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. He had major surgery to repair his leg and is now at home, being cared for by his frightened wife, Seema, and his two sons. He is still in shock over the assault.
“In my 15 years of service in the Kingdom, this is the first time I experienced such a bad incident,” Purushotthaman said. “I never thought that I would be the victim of such reprobates in a country that has very strict rules and regulations and for which I have high regards. If I had not opened the car door by force, then I would have been killed, leaving my wife a widow and my children orphans. I remember and thank the Saudi who helped me, and my company office manager, Muzaffar Khan, and company PRO Tamim Saifullah for the cooperation they extended during my hospital stay and thereafter. I don’t believe I was the first person assaulted by this gang.”
The messages in all this misery? Be vigilant in regards to personal safety. Avoid unnecessary risks. Report crimes to the police. Work as a community to get criminals off the streets and we will all be safer.
