The District Court in the presence of Sheikh Abdul Lateef Al-Harthi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice, sentenced two juveniles belonging to “Rich youngsters” gang to one year in prison for embezzling over SR1 million from a local bank using magnetic game cards seized from them. Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Qabbas, President of the District Court, said the two were involved in illegally taking SR1.2 million from a local bank using magnetic game cards. The court sentenced them to one year from the date they were taken into custody in the correction facility due to the case. In addition, each one of them will receive 300 lashes of the whip divided into six installments besides confiscating a 2010 model Toyota Camry car found in their possession. Meanwhile, three of their partners are being held in the General Prison awaiting trial in the courts. Okaz/Saudi Gazette published a story on their cases several months ago. The gang of “Rich youngsters” comprises five youths, two of whom are teenagers, who were arrested several months ago after one of the local banks in Taif reported to the security authorities the loss of SR1 million out of bank accounts through withdrawals using magnetic game cards. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Taif Police succeeded in uncovering the culprits as five youths who managed to withdraw SR1 million from four automated teller machines (ATMs) belonging to a local bank using magnetic cards for games. The game cards were similar to ATM cards hence enabling them to withdraw the amount and purchase five new model cars. During a period of two years the local bank had noticed successive cash shortfalls – one reaching SR90,000 and the other SR74,000 – without a clear client for these withdrawals. The matter was referred to the security authorities. The CID team that was formed started with sorting the video recordings of the ATM cameras from which the amounts were withdrawn. The team was able to reach one of the suspects driving a Camry 2010, the number plate was identified and the features of the driver identified. He was arrested and his fellow youngsters started falling one after the other in the hands of the security authorities. The security authorities said the youths had tried to use the magnetic game cards in ATMs of other local banks but their attempts failed. They succeeded in the same bank that possessed ATMs using an old system. This was at four locations only – two in Al-Hawiyyah, the third on Hassaan Bin Thabit Street and the fourth in Al
