Saudi Islamic police arrest over 250,000 a year

Saudi Arabia’s Islamic police arrested more than 250,000 people in one year and those involved in ethical crimes topped the list, a local daily reported on Monday.

Those arrested and convicted included nearly 15,556 Saudi men and 1,004 Saudi women as well as more than 74,000 expatriates, the London-based Arabic language Alhayat newspaper said, quoting the annual report by the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the most feared law enforcement authority in the Gulf Kingdom.

The report, covering the past Muslim Hirji year that ended last week, showed nearly 8,530 Saudi men and 968 national women were involved in illegitimate affairs and other ethical crimes. Around 5,077 expatriate men and 3,417 foreign women were also arrested in connection with such crimes.

“The ethical cases topped the list of those arrested in the past year, followed by religious cases, alcohol, drugs, illegal publications and illegal practices by shops,” the Commission said in its report.

“A total 251,000 cases handled by the Commission last year, a decline by around 19.5 per cent over the preceding year….nearly 281,000 people were involved in those cases and some 25,000 cases were referred to the competent authorities.”

The report showed the capital Riyadh topped the list of those cases in the past year, followed by Makkah, and the northern region.

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