Police pilot tracks down saboteurs

A police pilot serving as an areal backup for ground officers led to the arrest of a group of saboteurs during a pursuit in the Capital Governorate earlier this year. The chopper assisted police officers on the ground to locate the hideout of one of the suspects who in turn led to identifying three others.

The Fourth High Criminal Court sentenced each of the four suspects to two years in jail. According to court files, the suspects set tyres, waste bins and water containers on fire near a petrol station on the Shaikh Salman Highway. A nearby farm was used by the suspects to hide the tyres. However, a helicopter patrolling the area filmed their activities and pursued one of the suspects to his hideout in Janabiya.

The third suspect, during interrogation, confessed that he orchestrated the entire operation as well as procured gasoline, tyres and other materials used for blocking the highway. The Public Prosecution accused them of endangering lives and properties, participating in an illegal gathering to disrupt public order and possessing Molotov cocktails.