RIYADH, 31 October 2007 — The Faisaliah district, located in the heart of Riyadh and including more than 500 warehouses, has become the scene of many robberies, even in broad daylight. Never a day, it seems, passes without a robbery carried out by an organized gang — allegedly African youths between 20 and 30 years of age.
One recent victim was an imam from the Prince Salman Mosque who was robbed of his mobile phone and his wallet containing SR3,200. “I was walking along the road after Asr, when suddenly an African youth on a motorcycle reached into my pocket and took all the cash I had,” Abdul Kader, the imam, told Arab News. At the time of the robbery, he claimed, there was another member of the group who was watching him from a distance. “Both fled the scene on their respective motorbikes as soon as the money had been grabbed,” he said.
Abdul Kader, who has been the imam of the mosque for the past seven years, said that such crimes have become common in the area over the last six months. “These youths come to the area in different clothing, sometimes smartly dressed in Western style and other times they come like beggars who want assistance from members of the public. They come in groups of two or more and prey on those in places with few people.”
Asif was the gang’s another victim. An accountant working for a private company, he lost company money amounting to SR19,200 as he was bringing it from the nearest bank. “As I was opening my warehouse, two smartly-dressed young men caught me by the neck, took the cash in my pocket and fled toward their latest model Camry,” Asif explained.
While Asif shouted for help, he said he was able to stop one of the thieves with the help from workers from a nearby warehouse. One thief escaped in the car while the other was handed over to the Khalidiya police. At the police station, the thief confessed that he was an Ethiopian overstayer.
“The district, located 10 km away from the city center of Batha, is infested with pickpockets and undesirables,” said Hamid Moulana who works as a senior manager in a food store. “Walking alone or with a companion in this area has become extremely dangerous,” he said. “The culprits are operating on motorcycles and from expensive cars. There are at least half-a-dozen incidents of robbery every week.”
