Illegal parking racket busted

Manama : The police yesterday arrested the gang of three who have been illegally occupying the public parking space on the premises of Yateem Centre and Oriental Palace Hotel in the capital.

The action follows a DT News report on Monday exposing a three-member gang extorting money from residents by illegally allocating public parking space. 

“The police took the gang members to the Bab Al Bahrain police station and told them to move out of the area. In fact, they were released from custody with a warning. But the men came again in the evening to carry on with their illegal activity which resulted in the arrest,” sources told DT News.

“We thank the newspaper for raising a voice on behalf of the residents and making sure that strict actions are taken against culprits,” said a shop owner in the area, adding that there are no more parking issues now and it’s a great relief for the residents.

“We have been living in this area for the past 30 years witnessing it happen every day. We are so glad that action has been taken against them at last,” said another resident in the area.

The Ministry of Interior also issued a statement yesterday saying the Police Directorate arrested the three people who exploited the public parking space by leasing it to car owners for money.

“We received information from one of the residents who was being affected by the gang and we carried out an investigation which resulted in the identification and the arrest of the three group members,” said Capital Governorate Police Directorate General Brigadier Khalid Al Thawadi. 

He pointed out that the Ministry of Interior will not hesitate to take legal action necessary to maintain security and protect public facilities.