Three Saudis arrested over grisly murder of five Indian expatriates

Manama: Police in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province have arrested three Saudis for reportedly killing five Indian expatriates by burying them alive.

The murders occurred in 2010 and the bodies were buried 1.5 metres under the ground in an isolated farm in Safwa near Al Qatif.

They were unearthed when a Saudi man rented the farm and was working on setting up an improvised irrigation system when he found the victims’ bones.

He initially thought they belonged to an animal, but when he found clothes next to them, he alerted the police.

Initially, two bodies were discovered, but soon afterwards, three more skeletons were unearthed, prompting a massive investigation to identify the victims and hunt down the killers, local reports said.

The initial focus was on the farm that was notorious for being used to make liquor illegally and for gambling, mainly by expatriates.

According to Saudi reports, the police discovered that the crime occurred on March 16, 2003, following a dispute related to the consumption of liquor.

One of the victims was reportedly killed before being buried in the farm, while another four were buried alive nearby after being given liquor.

The victims were found with ropes tied around their arms and legs while their mouths were reportedly stuffed with cotton and covered with duct tape.

The police initially had only the identity card of one of the victims and a gold ring on which a name was inscribed.

The probe then was expanded to include the friends and acquaintances of the victims and the list was later narrowed down to 25 suspects, including one Saudi man who reportedly dealt with the workers.

According to the reports, the list was subsequently reduced to eight suspects, which included three Saudi nationals.

The investigations eventually revealed that the three Saudi nationals had committed the crime, although four Indians were also arrested for their role in making and selling liquor in the Al Qatif region. A butcher, a shop salesman and a labourer in the construction sector were among the Indians arrested for engaging in the illicit business.

The Eastern Province police said that three Saudis had been arrested. One of them who had close connections with one of the victims was arrested while the other two were already in jail in other cases.