Shops shut, illegals held in Riyadh raids 

(MENAFN - Arab News) In a major crackdown, Riyadh police arrested 95 illegal residents in the city in the past two weeks.

According to a police officer, the authorities have intensified their operations during the summer to bring violators to book. During the operations, suspected shops and establishments were raided to apprehend the violators.

An eyewitness said yesterday that he had seen a policeman apprehending a criminal after a marathon chase through the traffic snarls at Arbaeen Street, in the heart of the capital.

During the raids, police confiscated 15,000 counterfeit watches and closed down 22 shops that have violated the commercial laws of the country.
Police warnings were issued to the owners of another 57 shops. Their establishments would face closure unless they regularized the legal documentation.

The security authorities also closed three slaughterhouses for want of official licenses.

The Riyadh municipality issues licenses to slaughterhouses after ensuring the hygienic and environmental conditions of the sites.

A group of 30 newcomers to the Kingdom were handed over to the authorities, as they had not obtained their residency permits after arrival in the Kingdom.

The police also booked 86 traffic violations and the offenders would remain in detention until their disputes are settled in court.

The district court in Riyadh sentenced an Arab expatriate to a five-year jail term with 400 lashes for threatening an expatriate woman he would put her images and video clips online unless she agreed to his advances.

The police made the arrest after the woman complained about the continuous harassment by the accused. During the arrest, police found the images and video clips of the woman in the mobile phone of the suspect. The accused had also resisted arrest.