Haram cameras spot 45 pickpockets By Muhammad Al-Umari MAKKAH – Surveillance cameras installed in the Grand Mosque in Makkah helped in the arrest of 45 pickpockets inside the Tawaf area during Haj. Maj. Gen. Yususf Mattr, Commander of the Holy Mosque Force, said one of the cameras spotted a pickpocket who was later found to be in possession of SR6,000, $1,500 and other foreign currencies. General Mattr said the arrested pickpockets were handed over to the police. He urged the heads of Haj missions to enlighten pilgrims in their home countries about such acts so that they do not fall victim to these anti-social elements. – Okaz/SG Health insurance's next stage soon By Nawwaf Afit RIYADH – The Council for Cooperative Health Insurance will soon launch the second stage of its health insurance scheme to target approximately eight million workers under individual sponsorship including personal drivers and housemaids, said the council's secretary general, Dr. Abdullah Al-Shareef. The announcement came after the council completed covering all companies, insuring 5,500,000 employees and workers. Dr. Al-Shareef said some companies are trying to postpone insuring their employees. “This is unacceptable,” he said. – Okaz/SG New rules to import used cars RIYADH – New rules for importing used automobiles define the make and model clearly. The Customs Department has informed all land, sea and air customs inlets about the new regulations as approved by Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Interior. The new rules will be implemented in the middle of next year upon the expiry of the grace period given to importers. – SPA Indians held on bribery charge By Abdullah Al-Hakami MLEIJAH – Mleijah Police on Wednesday arrested two Indian expatriates for attempting to bribe a security man to release two of their compatriots caught by the Saudi owner of a house in Mleijah when the two secretly entered the house late at night to meet their lover – an Indonesian housemaid. They had a date with the maid but arrived too early only to be caught by the house owner. – Okaz/SG Security campaign in Hail By Mit'eb Al-Awwad HAIL – A security campaign carried out by Hail Region Police resulted in the arrest of five minors and 11 violators of residency (Iqama) regulations. SR10,662 and 15 mobile telephones were also confiscated from a Turkish expatriate. In another development, the security patrols arrested two minors driving a stolen car. The two minors aged 16 and 13 admitted stealing the car. They have been referred to a correction home. – Okaz/SG Eve-teaser arrested By Ahmed Al-Jubaili SAMTA – Samta Police on Wednesday arrested a young man in his 20s for harassing a girl and attacking a shopkeeper trying to prevent him from the criminal act. The young man followed the girl who was on her way to the market and tried to give her his mobile number but she declined to take it. When she entered a mobile shop, the shopkeeper noticed the young man harassing the girl and he ordered him to leave the shop, but a quarrel broke out between the two. The young man called his friends and a fight between the youths and the shopkeeper broke out and some passersby joined in. A Saudi national was injured in the melee and was taken to Samta Hospital. Security patrols arrived at the scene and took the young man to the police station where he was taken into custody pending investigations. – Okaz/SG Restaurant cleared in food poisoning case By Muhammad Hadhadh JEDDAH – A four-member committee comprising Jeddah Governorate, Jeddah Mayoralty, Ministry of Health and Food and Drugs Committee acquitted a well-known restaurant in Jeddah on charges of causing the death of two children, Aisha and Muhammad Yusuf, due to insufficient evidence. The children's death was alleged to be due to food poisoning after eating food from the restaurant. The verdict was issued after 11 months. The committee imposed a fine of SR8,300 on the restaurant for health violations, as four of the workers were found to be suffering from respiratory inflammations besides other violations found during a surprise inspection tour of the restaurant. – Okaz/SG Maid steals jewelry worth SR50,000 By Ibrahim Alawi JEDDAH – Police here are interrogating a 28-year-old Indonesian housemaid and a man over charges of stealing jewelry worth SR50,000 from the maid's sponsor's house in Al-Salamah District on Tuesday. The man is suspected of being an accomplice in the theft as the housemaid claimed that he prompted her to rob her sponsor and before taking the jewelry she stole he sexually assaulted her. The maid coordinated with the man, who promised to marry her. The man picked her up after the theft and headed for a secluded area east of the city where he took the jewelry and sexually assaulted her. The maid called her sponsor after she was found by security patrols in Al-Samir District four hours after her disappearance and claimed she was abducted. Police spokesman Misfer Al-Juaid said investigations are under way.
