Maher Abbas Saudi Gazette RIYADH – The District Court in Riyadh sentenced two men from an Asian country to five years in prison and 3,000 lashes for kidnapping a compatriot and demanding a ransom for his release and in Qatif, three people were given prison sentences totaling 38 years and lashes ranging from 1,500 to 4,000 for abducting 3 citizens and firing at an officer in the Naserah district of Qatif. The two had kidnapped a man in Riyadh and held him captive at a farm south of the capital. A relative of the victim informed the police that two people were asking him for money to release the man. An investigation team responded immediately and started collecting information about the kidnappers and their ties to the victim. After an exhaustive search, their hideout was identified and police raided the farm. The kidnappers resisted arrest but were eventually overpowered. During questioning, the duo admitted to the entire kidnap operation. In Qatif, a judicial source at a Shariah court said that 2 of the criminals were sentenced to 15 years each and a third criminal was sentenced to 8 years, noting that the efforts of police in Qatif province police resulted in their arrests. The source added that the criminals were interrogated and proven guilty of the charges and were referred to the General Court in Qatif which issued a ruling against them. The 3 men were found guilty of committing an armed robbery inside a government facility and taking 3 hostages to an undisclosed hideout. According to the source, after withdrawing SR5,000 from the bank account of one of their hostages, the men used his mobile phone which police immediately tracked. After finding themselves surrounded by police, the kidnappers fired at police and wounded one officer. The hostages were eventually released and their belongings returned.
