1 week Ago
Cairo: Saudi police said they had arrested four citizens for shooting in a public place in Riyadh, putting the lives of others in danger. The four had appeared in a video shooting in the air in a public place. Legal action was taken against them, and they were referred to the public prosecution, the Saudi General Directorate of Public Security said in a statement.
One of them is accused of violating the kingdom's anti-cybercrime law by documenting the illegal act and posting it online. Police did not say when the crime happened. Saudi authorities have recently toughened gun ownership rules.
In February, authorities said personal firearms licensed in the kingdom cannot be taken abroad. The General Directorate of Public Security said that carrying licensed weapons outside the kingdom is a violation that makes the offender liable to legal accountability. It added that licences issued to carry and possess weapons and ammunition are valid within Saudi Arabia only.
In November, a Saudi ministerial decree tightened rules for obtaining a gun licence and linked it to doing a mandatory drug test. Amendments stipulated that passing a toxicology test is mandatory for obtaining a licence to carry individual firearms and hunting weapons. A toxicology test, also referred to as a tox screen, is conducted to determine traces of drugs in one’s blood and urine.
Other requirements are that the licence applicant must be a Saudi national, at least 22 years old, and free of any criminal record or security restrictions. Additionally, the applicant must not have a disability or disease that could hinder the use of firearms. Possession of an individual firearm or ammunition without a licence is punishable in Saudi Arabia by 18 months in prison and a fine of up to SR6,000, or one of these two penalties.
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