Saudi gang that held and tortured a blind woman and a poet sentenced to 155 years in prison

Eleven people of an organised criminal gang, including eight Saudi nationals and three Sudanese, were sent to prison for a combined sentence of 155 years after a Saudi court found them guilty of large-scale fraud, robbery, forgery, unlawful detention and money laundering.

Saudi Gazette, reporting on an exclusive story by Arabic newspaper Okaz, said the “criminal network was found guilty of orchestrating sophisticated fraud schemes that resulted in the theft of nearly SAR40 million (US$10.67 million) through deception, forged property deeds, fake real estate transactions, abuse of trust and financial scams”.

Investigators said the ring was led by a businessman, assisted by his misyar wife, a hairdresser, and several accomplices. The gang leader, with a criminal record and multiple outstanding arrest warrants issued in the past, rented a seaside chalet for SAR1 million (US$270,000) annually to project an image of being wealthy, used luxury vehicles and premium phone numbers.

Gang targets high-profile victims

The gang would rely on real estate brokerage offices to facilitate the scams. Victims included a former national football team supervisor, a blind woman, an honorary member of a major Saudi football club, a Saudi poet, and other individuals.

The defendants would lure victims with fake property sales using forged title deeds. They would use handcuffs and a firearm to detain victims and forcibly obtain bank checks.

In one case, the gang stole a bank check from a football club member while he was praying. In another case, they defrauded a former national team official of SAR12 million (US$3.2 million) and also seized SAR6 million (US$1.6 million) from a blind woman.

The gang convinced the blind woman to issue powers of attorney, which enabled them to seize her assets, and forcibly obtained a SAR5 million check at gunpoint.

In one incident, a real estate broker was detained inside the chalet, blindfolded, handcuffed and threatened with a firearm until a bank check was issued and cashed.

Prosecutors presented nearly 250 pieces of evidence, including digital records, confessions, and financial documents. The wife said she had been used to cover up crimes, including fraud and drug possession.

Gang faces long sentences, fines, bans

Okaz said the court ruled to commute the death penalty and impose prison terms based on the roles of each defendant. The verdict is now final after it was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

The gang leader was sentenced to 25 years in prison and imposed a 25-year travel ban, while the wife received a 13-year sentence, a matching travel ban, and a SAR100,000 (US$26,666) fine.

A Sudanese resident was sentenced to 18 years in prison and deportation for unlawful detention, electric torture and money laundering.

Other defendants received prison terms ranging from eight to 18 years, fines of upto SAR100,000, travel bans, and deportation orders for non-Saudi nationals.

A government employee involved in the crimes was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while the gang leader’s sister also received a 12-year sentence, a travel ban and a fine.