Saudi Arabia

Saudi police deny terror angle over man in abaya

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Police in Riyadh say expatriate was arrested for harassing women

Manama: Police in Riyadh have denied claims that an expatriate who was arrested disguised as a woman had planned a terrorist attack.

“The case has been given incredible dimensions on social media when in fact it was just a situation of harassment,” said Fawaz Al Miman, the head of public relations in Riyadh Police. “The expatriate disguised himself as a woman to be close physically to women, and there was nothing about carrying out a terrorist attack or robbing someone. It could not be a case of robbery because when women wear abayas — the black coverall — it becomes very difficult to know where they are keeping their money,” he said, quoted by Saudi daily Al Sharq.

The official urged people not to heed the lies and rumours posted on social media, saying that they were aimed at undermining people’s trust in the police and in their efforts to maintain peace and security.

The 36-year-old Indian man was arrested after the security authorities were informed by female shoppers that someone wearing a black abaya was trying to get into close proximity with them.

Saudi citizens have become more concerned about terrorists disguising themselves as women following the attack last month on a mosque in the Eastern Province city of Dammam, in which the suicide bomber wore an abaya to conceal the explosives.

The attack was foiled after the bomber was spotted as he headed towards the mosque where had planned to blow himself up.

Abayas are also used by some beggars who pretend to be women in order to secure more donations from people keen on acts of charity.

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