RIYADH: A seven-member gang who were involved in a spate of robberies was arrested in Riyadh early this week.

According to police, the suspects were all Saudi nationals who are in their twenties. “They carried out 33 robberies in various parts of the capital,” the police said, pointing out that the arrests were made on clear instructions from Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, who is keen on curbing the crime rate in the governorate.

The police said that most of the robberies were carried out at knife point. The thieves robbed cashiers, shops and have threatened workers showing lethal weapons to rob them of their valuables. They were also involved in stealing cars, breaking into shops at nights and waylaying innocent pedestrians.

The arrests were made following complaints received from the public about the mode of operations of this gang.

According to police, the robbers were roped in with a sting operation carried out by the authorities to nab the gang in one place.

The police are still conducting further inquiries to know whether more persons are involved in the gang.

The suspects have confessed to their offenses.

On completion of the enquiry, the suspects will be brought before a court in Riyadh for necessary punishment. Currently, the suspected robbers are in police custody.