JEDDAH: Jeddah police arrested more than 60,000 people in the first quarter of the current Hijri year, whose cases ranged between violations of work regulations, thefts, liquor brewing, snatching of women's handbags, car thefts, fraud, business cover-ups, unlicensed shops and immoral practices in different locations of the province.

Maj. Gen. Masoud bin Faisal Al-Odwani, director of Jeddah police, reported that police conducted thorough investigations based on fieldwork, investigations on the gatherings of persons violating residency laws, and reports of citizens on such practices. After verifying the accuracy of reports, police carried out weekly campaigns, raids and set up checkpoints, he said.

Al-Odwani said the number of arrested in criminal cases reached 19 in the first quarter, whereas the number of persons violating residency laws reached 59,000. Cases involving beggary reached 1,149, of which 698 were women, 363 children and 88 men of foreign nationalities.

The number of illegal street vendors was 621, he said.