JEDDAH — As many as 395 people were arrested in the Kingdom in one year on charges of illegally possessing weapons, according to a source in the Ministry of Justice. The source said Riyadh had the highest number of Saudis possessing unlicensed weapons with 161 arrests while Tabuk had the distinction of arresting 17 women with illegal weapons, the highest number for any region in the Kingdom. The source said 91 people were arrested in Makkah province, 50 in Asir, 27 in Jazan, 17 in Qassim, 17 in Tabuk (all of them women), 14 in Hail, 8 in Najran, 7 in the Northern Borders and 2 in Baha. There was only one arrest in Madinah related to illegal weapons, the source told Al-Watan daily. Lawyer and legal consultant Rayyan Mufti said possessing unlicensed guns is a major crime in the Kingdom. "People caught with unlicensed weapons may face a maximum of six months in prison and up to SR7,000 in fine. If the weapon possessed was posing a threat to the public, then the owner may face two or three years in prison," said Mufti. He said the Ministry of Interior has set rules and regulations for obtaining the license to own a gun through its General Directorate for Weapons and Explosives. The regulations require the licensed owners to never carry their weapons into the two holy mosques or any other mosque for that matter. They are also not allowed to bring the weapons near military bases and oil installations. The regulations also ban the display of weapons in public or using them in restricted areas. "Weapons can be used for self-defense when absolutely necessary. If anyone caught possessing an unlicensed weapon, the owner could face a fine of SR7,000, in addition to other punishments listed on the Charter of the General Directorate for Weapons and Explosives," said Mufti. He added the violations might include the use of weapons for unauthorized purposes and in unauthorized locations.
