“Police investigators with cooperation from Jeddah’s secret police were monitoring the suspects’ hideout for while,” said Jeddah police spokesman Brig. Misfer Al-Juaid.
“Officers were able to track several members of the gambling racket. A raid on the location was made resulting in the arrests of all the suspects, and revealed several other connections to this illegal activity.”
Al-Juaid said the gambling racket is connected to a larger and more sophisticated ring of illegal activities where several players came during weekend nights to buy and sell lottery tickets or try their luck in winning cash.
“The arrested suspects are of mainly Indian and Pakistani nationalities. All suspects confessed to their crime and all will face criminal charges and possible jail time,” said Al-Juaid.
Meanwhile, around 630 illegal overstayers including several wanted criminals were arrested in Jeddah in a series of police raids conducted in the city last week.
“This week's security sweeps included the arrest of 41 overstayers, both men and women, who were involved in committing various criminal offenses,” said Al-Juaid.
Some of those arrested were wanted for offenses connected to drug dealing, bootlegging, car thefts, fraud, harboring illegal immigrants as well as operating unlicensed businesses.
The raids were carried out mainly in four districts including Kilo-8, Bani Malik, Al-Naeem, and Al-Sharafiah.
“The majority of those who were arrested held no legal documentation and were transferred to Jeddah deportation center after being cleared by the police. However those suspected of criminal offenses were charged and are in police custody, with items seized as evidence during the raids,” said Al-Juaid.