JEDDAH, 15 October 2006 — Authorities in Jeddah have arrested two Africans, one of them impersonating a military general with the aim of defrauding wealthy Saudi businessmen.
According to the authorities the man had presented himself, with the help of a friend, as a high-ranking military officer from an African country who had come to Saudi Arabia looking for investment opportunities. The fraudsters were in the process of looking to be introduced to as many Saudi businessmen as possible.
The two men contacted a Saudi businessman in Taif and offered him an opportunity to enter into trade deals with a capital exceeding SR20 million. The men wanted to borrow a Saudi citizen’s name, using it to invest in real estate projects in Makkah and subsequently a number of projects in the region over a period of five years. They proposed that the profits would be divided between both parties and that the project would be managed by the Saudi.
The Taif businessman was skeptical about the offer especially since the call had come from Jeddah. His skepticism was further enhanced by the fact that he was unfamiliar with social figures in the Jeddah community and the official sectors, including foreign consulates. The businessman therefore contacted the police to look into the matter.
Police officials coordinated with the Taif businessman to entrap the Africans. The businessman set up a meeting with the “general”. Police arrested the two men when they arrived for the meeting after confirming that the man was an ordinary citizen and not a general. The fraudsters also had with them a briefcase full of fake US dollars.
Police say the case will go to court and it is likely, in accordance with the local law, that the alleged impersonator and his helper will be deported after being tried and then sentenced.
In light of this incident, security officials strongly advise people not to deal with such dubious ‘investors’. They said people should immediately report any suspicious case.
Officials have also arrested a citizen who was involved in money laundering. The man was arrested while crossing into Munfath Al-Batha area of the Kingdom from a Gulf country. According to police, the man had hidden $111,000 in a plastic bag under his seat.
Munfath Al-Batha is an area popular among money-launderers, who mostly hide money in the wheel rims of their cars.
