Oman crime: 21 held for flouting residency rules

Muscat: Foot patrol officers from Buraimi Police Department arrested 21 people of different Asian nationalities.
Eleven of them had entered the country illegally, four had expired residency visas and six had absconded from their workplace.
Legal procedure have been initiated and the suspects have been referred to the concerned authorities.
Drug smuggling bid foiled
Three persons, all of Arab nationality, were taken into custody in Dhofar for attempting to smuggle 1,564 packets of khat as they approached the Omani coast on board a fishing boat, the Royal Oman Police (ROP) reported.
The ROP reported that the accused have been referred to the Public Prosecution.
Everyone is encouraged to report to the ROP any suspicious activities related to attempts to smuggle drugs into the country, either through the hotline 1444 or the emergency number 9999.
Last month, the ROP launched an anti-smuggling action film, as they adopted Hollywood-style tactics to raise awareness to stress that everyone has a responsibility in fighting crime.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, a ROP official earlier called smuggling on the coasts “the biggest problem the police face.”
“One of the major problems Oman faces comes not from within the country, but from outside,” he stated.
He said that the security of the nation is not only a responsibility of the police, but of all. “The citizen is an ally in ensuring security and cooperating with police officers, under the banner that at some level, we are all police officers,” said the official.