RIYADH: Drug addicts were responsible for 217 crimes, most of them violent like assault, shooting and murder, in Saudi Arabia last year, a recent study has revealed.

The range of crimes committed included possession of weapons without license (44 cases), which is 31.20 percent of the total, followed by crimes involving assault with 41 criminals (29.78 percent), local media reported, citing the study by the Research Center for Fighting Crimes.

Murder came in third place with 33 cases (23.40 percent), while shootings came fourth with 16 (11.34 percent), and threatening people with a weapon came last with seven cases (4.96 percent).

Interestingly, the study showed that the number of thefts related to drugs in Saudi Arabia was not high, and suggested that addicts only resort to stealing if they didn’t get immediate access to drugs.

The study found non-drug addicts commit less violent acts than addicts. Among non-drug addicts, those involved in possessing unlicensed weapons came first with 20.27 percent, followed by assault crimes with 19.89 percent.

Unlawful activities comprised 18.43 percent of the total crimes committed, while murder came fourth with 15.20 percent. Car thefts came in fifth with 9.21 percent and shooting sixth with 7.37 percent, the study said.