DAMMAM — Security officials have confirmed that Juhaiman, who has been arrested over a fatal shooting incident during a drag race in Al-Owaired, Dammam, was wanted in many criminal cases. Riyadh police who arrested the suspect transferred him to Dammam to complete investigations. The traffic police in the Eastern Province disclosed that 1,736 dragsters were detained over the last few months and a number of dragsters' meeting points within residential neighborhoods were eliminated. A clipping posted on YouTube showing a number of careless youngsters practicing drag race while shooting in the air in Al-Owaired, went viral recently. The shooting caused the death of a 26-year-old bystander and engulfed his car in flames. Riyadh police spokesman Col. Naser Al-Qahtani said coordination between the crime investigation departments in Riyadh and the Eastern Province resulted in narrowing down the suspicion on Juhaiman, and the likelihood of his involvement in the shooting incident. Security surveillance succeeded in tracking him down, and his vehicle was secretly monitored and resulted in his arrest while entering a furnished apartment in east Riyadh, along with two juveniles who had been reported missing by their parents. The vehicle in his possession was a 2011 Jeep reported stolen toward the end of Ramadan. He was also found with a gun and live ammunition in his possession. The Al-Owaired incident that involved the use of weapons is an alarming new phenomenon, and people fear that in the absence of deterrent measures to control this trend it could noticeably spread throughout the Kingdom. Al-Owaired is considered one of the most famous areas for practicing drag racing for youngsters from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, as it lies outside the residential neighborhoods of the city. The Eastern Province police have set up checkpoints at the entrances and exits of the area. An alternate area in Safwa witnessed drag racings for the last two days, in which hundreds of motorists from different parts of the Eastern Province have participated after the closure of Al-Owaired by security. The existence of many websites dedicated to drag racing has contributed in attracting hundreds of youngsters by supplying information on the available places and times. These websites publish photographs and video clips of dragsters exhibiting their skills. Furthermore, some websites have dedicated a video channel on YouTube for publishing clips of well-known dragsters, news about them and the best cars they prefer to use in drag racing. — SG
