Jeddah police bust pickpocket gang

Abdulrahman Al-Ali
Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Jeddah Police arrested five Pakistani expatriates who are accused of stealing thousands of riyals worth of personal possessions. The pickpocket gang, whose members are between the ages of 25-37, targeted people in malls, mosques and hospitals.

First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman for Jeddah police, said the thieves took advantage of busy crowds to mug citizens. Three or four members of the gang would choose a victim and engage in a conversation to distract him. An accomplice would then pass by and cut a slit in his pocket so that the victim’s possessions would fall to the ground. The men would then grab the possessions and flee the scene in different directions.

Al-Bouq said the gang was caught in the act by undercover officers - they were spotted trying to rob a man in a mall in South Jeddah. The officers discovered a number of currencies, knives, cell phones and wallets in their possession.