RIYADH: A gang of thieves, who used to steal tires from parked cars, was arrested in Najran, according to a statement from security authorities in the region.

According to police, the stolen tires were advertised for sale on a website being sold at cheaper prices than standard market rates.

The police deployed a decoy to buy the tires through the website, and accordingly the arrest was made when the thieves brought the stolen goods to sell.

Police caught them red-handed when the tires were brought to a spot to finish the deal.

Meanwhile, Riyadh police arrested a gang of nine citizens in their twenties and thirties, who were involved in a spate of robberies.

The gang, which was operating in the north of Riyadh, was in the habit of stopping passing vehicles and robbing motorists of their valuables and vehicles at gunpoint.

During the police search, five of the nine members were found in a car with pistols, live ammunition rounds, six bottles of liquor and narcotic pills.

Police said that they were able to arrest the full gang of nine members with public cooperation. On completion of an inquiry, they will be produced before the court of law for necessary punishment.

According to local laws, a death sentence is the maximum punishment for armed robberies. However, the verdicts vary from case to case according to the nature and degree of the offense.