JEDDAH: Police campaigns targeting persons suspected of involvement in a variety of offenses led to the arrest of over 1,000 people in late night raids across Jeddah over Saturday and Sunday. Responding to information provided by the public, officers entered homes in the early hours and detained suspects on charges of begging, car theft and theft of handbags, selling and using alcohol and drugs, swindling and fraud, and breaches of public morality. Other offenses included illegally renting out motorbikes of unknown ownership. A total of 481 men, women and children were detained for begging and 117 were held for illegal street-trading. Three hundred and seventy-eight persons were charged with illegal car washing and 28 for involvement in criminal activities. Twenty-four people of unknown identity were also arrested, along with 139 found in breach of residency laws. Jeddah Police Chief Ali Al-Ghamdi urged the public to continue helping the authorities. “We would ask everyone to cooperate with the police to help end the activities of offenders and criminals,” he said.
