274 Illegal Residents Rounded Up

RIYADH, 22 March 2008 — Local authorities said yesterday that at least 274 illegal residents of various nationalities were apprehended by police in raids carried out in the capital under the direct orders of the Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman to clamp down on the rise of crimes committed by illegal residents. The raids focused on the districts of Otaiga, Manfooha, and Yamamah. “The directive from the governor of Riyadh to the Riyadh Police was to root out crimes,” said Riyadh Police Chief Maj. Gen. Abdullah Al-Shahrani. “The orders were to also clean the districts of thieves and muggers.”