Only a few days ago when Arab News published a story on the sudden increase in crime in the capital, a large number of Saudis and expatriates came forward to recount their harrowing experiences.
According to a report, incidents involving thefts, robberies, harassment, muggings and car thefts are giving people sleepless nights, especially expatriates living in notorious districts of the city like Hayyl Wazarat, Batha, Suwedi and Somaishi.
In this particular case, the OFW’s family and a couple traveling along with them had left Qatar on March 15 to Saudi Arabia by car to perform Umrah. They stayed in Makkah for three days and continued their spiritual journey to Madinah to visit the Prophet’s city.
After performing the rituals, they proceeded to Riyadh on Tuesday and arrived in the capital around 2.30 in the morning. They drove to their relative’s house in Hayyl Wazarat, near the Naval headquarters in the residential area.
Because of the 16 hours’ drive by land, they were overcome with fatigue and slept inside the house, leaving their belongings inside the car because they would be leaving the following day.
They rested for a few hours and when the father went outside to get something for his children, he noticed something was wrong inside his car. He then discovered their four pieces of luggage as well as their passports had gone missing.
Even their children’s passports were taken. The passports of Cosain’s wife Saguira and children Minnat and Princess were taken. “We cannot leave Saudi soil and cannot enter Qatar. My wife is going to report on Sunday,” Moksin told Arab News.
“We hope that those people will show mercy on us as we are stranded here and it will be an increasing problem for us every single day we stay here. They can take everything but please return our passports, as they are useless. They are electronic passports and cannot be tampered with.”
On Wednesday night, after the incident, they went to two police stations to report the matter to officers, who advised them to go to the Passports Department.
Meanwhile, some victims in the area have submitted a petition addressed to the Riyadh police chief calling for immediate measures to tackle crime, especially in the city’s Hayyl Wazarat district.
The petition, which will be submitted to police officials a few days from now, has identified around 10 young Arabic-speaking men, mostly teenagers, who are allegedly involved in mugging and harassing women in the area.
The petition claims if someone refuses to pay money to the gang, they will then throw a stone on that person’s car or damage his property in broad daylight.
A gang of 14 men of various nationalities that allegedly carried out over 100 robberies in Riyadh was busted in a raid conducted a few days ago, according to Riyadh police. The gang was allegedly involved in a spate of street muggings and robberies in the capital city, targeting stores, homes, warehouses and pharmacies. Police also seized some SR315,000 in cash, expensive watches, computers, cell phones, pharmaceutical drugs and cellphone recharge cards. The group had also allegedly stolen a number of cars.
