JEDDAH: Police in Jeddah say they have broken up one of the largest pick-pocketing groups in the city with the arrest of over 20 individuals, all of whom are of Arab nationality. According to police the group had entered the country illegally only recently and operated at the Holy Sites in Makkah as well as shopping malls, bus stations and other public areas in Jeddah. The 21-strong gang, all in their mid-twenties, was reportedly led by a 25-year-old known for his skills in sleight of hand who would divide his colleagues into groups and assign them specific tasks and zones to operate. Police assigned 75 officers to identify the gang members and extensive surveillance determined the center of their activities at a central Jeddah market, leading initially to the arrest of nine individuals. Those arrests led in turn to the apprehension of others at Al-Sawareekh market and in Al-Jami'a District. A police spokesman said that a total of 21 individuals were being investigated to establish the extent of their activities.
