Three arrested on drug charges - Times of Oman

Muscat: Royal Oman Police (ROP) officers have arrested three suspects, including a citizen and two people of Asian nationality, on the charges of drug trafficking and possessing narcotic substances, in Hamriyah area of the wilayat of Muttrah.

The citizen was arrested with 20 heroin capsules while two others were arrested for possessing 55 capsules.

The raid was carried out following an information about the citizen receiving drugs from Asians who were part of larger network operating from the Asian countries. Legal action against the accused was initiated and they have been referred to the court.

Drug trafficker held
The ROP has also arrested a citizen from Sur Al Mazari area in the wilayat of Shinas on the charges of possessing and trading in drugs. A source at the Northern Batinah police said the accused was associated with an international gang of drug smugglers.

He was arrested with about one -and-a-half kilogram of heroin. He had concealed the drugs inside his undergarments along with two traditional weapons and OMR3,000 in cash.

Legal measures have been initiated against the accused and he was referred to the public prosecution for investigation.

The ROP has called upon the citizens and residents for further cooperation to combat drugs and report any suspicious actions of those promoting narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances by calling the hotline 1444 or Emergency line 9999.

Absconding maids
Meanwhile, the ROP's Directorate General of Inquiries and Criminal Investigations personnel raided a hotel in the Al Khuwair area of the wilayat of Bausher and arrested 12 absconding Asian women for indulging in prostitution. An ROP official said the accused were in custody and were referred to the Public Prosecution.

137 infiltrators held
The ROP has arrested 137 infiltrators of different nationalities from different places in the Sultanate. The arrest comes as a result of collaboration with military and security personnel during the past week.

Those arrested had entered the country illegally and 88 of them were deported after taking necessary legal action in coordination with the embassies of their respective countries. The ROP has called upon the citizens and residents cooperate with legal authorities to combat this phenomenon by promptly reporting such cases to the police either by calling the emergency phone 9999 or visiting the nearest police station.

The ROP has appealed people to deny  any help to the infiltrators in any way because such cooperation encourages such negative phenomenon.

85 labour law violators held
The ROP carried out raids in the early hours yesterday at a number of locations in the wilayat of Ibri and arrested 54 people for violation of labour law. The arrested people hailed from various Asian nationalities, and six of them were also found possessing alcohol and cigarettes.

In the northern Batinah, the ROP carried out a similar raid and arrested 31 violators of labour law, all of Asian origin.

The operation was part of the ROP's initiative to catch infiltrators and labour law violators across all governorates.

The raids in Ibri and Sohar were conducted after receiving information about the presence of a group of such violators.