JEDDAH, 17 January 2007 — Jeddah police announced that a father and two sons were arrested yesterday on suspicion of running a theft ring and chop shop that stole and altered 18-wheeler tractor-trailers.
The three were arrested after a man from Tabuk informed police that he had spotted his stolen truck next to the chop shop in Jeddah where the three were allegedly altering the appearance of the trucks in order to disguise them before sending them to Yemen to sell.
“It doesn’t seem to be just a three-man gang,” said an officer on condition of anonymity. “More arrests are expected.”
The source said the father, in his 50s, had been detained before on suspicion of auto theft. The man’s two sons, 19 and 17, were also arrested after police investigated the report of the stolen truck.
“The owner recognized his truck by the hole in the gas tank that the thief tried to cover up poorly,” said the police officer. “That’s when he called in.”
According to police, a search of the chop shop turned up four stolen tractor-trailers. Stolen license plates and fake export documents were also discovered.
Police said the majority of trucks and off-road vehicles stolen in Saudi Arabia are smuggled to Yemen to be sold. Smaller cars typically remain nearby, stripped of all their valuables and often abandoned in remote areas off Makkah-Madinah Highway.
