Coupled with the theft of copper cables, Dammam and Riyadh have become the latest target in a nationwide epidemic of manhole-cover larceny, authorities said. A Bangladeshi worker was arrested for stealing cast-iron lids from roadways and alleys in Riyadh. The man was driving a truck when the police pulled him over on Riyadh-Dammam Highway and searched the truck. A big quantity of drain covers and grates was found hidden in loads of other scrap metal inside the truck, said Lt. Miteb Al-Otaibi, head of Haza highway police station. The man admitted the theft. Earlier, the Water Department in both Dammam and Riyadh alerted the police to the increasing number of missing drain covers and grates leaving gaping holes that would jeopardize the safety of pedestrians and motorists. The police launched a search campaign in suspected areas where these drain covers and grates might be sold or hidden. The man said he was going to sell the drain lids to some of his compatriots who have taken an illegal profession out of dealing in stolen drain covers. They would sell them to metal recycling companies. The thieves aren't only leaving holes in the street, they're also leaving a growing hole in municipal utilities' budgets. – Okaz __
