Jeddah skyline Saudi Arabia
Residential and commercial properties sit on the city skyline beside a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Jeddah's authorities have closed a shopping centre and a major restaurant for failing to abide by the rules to fight coronavirus. Image Credit: Bloomberg

Abu Dhabi: Mecca Police have busted a gang of car thieves and arrested five Yemeni suspects, police said.

The gang, including four residents and an illegal, in their 40s, allegedly targeted vehicles parked in Jeddah neighbourhoods, a spokesperson for Mecca Police said.

The suspects’ line of business was transporting vehicles parked in different Jeddah areas to a warehouse and changing their features and information using other damaged vehicles identical to them in type and model, police said.

The gang also allegedly robbed 15 cooling devices of transport trucks, police added.

The crime came to the light after police were informed about the theft of a number of vehicles. Police launched a massive hunt and managed to locate the suspects and nine cars, worth SR575,000 were recovered. The case has been referred to the public prosecution, police said.