Abdulrahman Al-Ali Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Police have arrested eight members of a gang who made large amounts of purchases using fake credit cards in the name of well-known businessmen in the country and some European individuals who had already passed away. The men allegedly purchased a large quantity of household appliances, furniture and cell phones and resold them at cheap rates to get cash. The gang falsified the names of the businessmen on the cards and went around the city purchasing electrical goods from different stores. Police received several reports from stores that could not claim the bills from the bank because the cards turned out to be fake and were used by unauthorized people. Jeddah police spokesman First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq said four of the gang members were Saudis and the rest belonged to different nationalities. Police formed an investigation team and undercover agents started observing customers who visited the stores that had previously fell victim to the gang. A customer caught the attention of undercover agents who kept a close eye on him. They witnessed him buy something using a credit card and then take the goods to Al-Sharafiya neighborhood where he met another man. Both went their separate ways to sell the goods. Police arrested them separately and were able to get information about the other gang members including their whereabouts. One of them was an Ethiopian woman while the others were Yemeni, Nigerian and Sudanese nationals. They confessed to the police and their case has been referred to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution.
