RIYADH: A 9-member gang was arrested for alleged burglaries in 13 houses in Riyadh last week.

According to the police, the arrests were made on a directive from the Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar, who was keen on cleaning the city free from criminals.

The arrested gang comprising eight Saudis and a Sudanese national were in their twenties and thirties, police said.

Police received complaints that the gang had been operating in the Al-Kharj area.

On arrest, the alleged suspects admitted that they were involved in stealing valuables from 13 houses, two warehouses and from eight cars parked in the city center.

The police is conducting further investigations into the robbery to ascertain if there are more people involved in the thefts.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, four men were arrested for conducting 56 robberies in the capital which included car thefts, robbing expatriates of their valuables at knife-point and stealing money from cashiers in pharmacies.

The police has advised people to take care of their belongings in their houses and vehicles. They were also advised to lock their houses and cars properly before leaving them.

The police said that they are doing their best to bring the criminals to book and they also seek the public cooperation to carry out their duties well. The members of the public have been requested to contact the police immediately on sighting a crime in their own areas.