4000 arrests not linked to terror

SANA'A, Feb. 07 (Saba) – Minister of Interior Mutahar Rashad
al-Masri has denied that the 4000 arrests of wanted suspects
announced during the last month were linked to terrorism.

However, the minister said the arrested were of those wanted on
criminal charges including killing, burglary and banditry but not on
terrorism-related crimes.

He affirmed that al-Qaeda influence has been greatly diminished
after large security crackdowns, the latest of which the raid on a
suspected al-Qaeda network in the Secretariat Capital in the last
month.

Al-Masri noted that the announcement of the arrests of almost 4000
wanted suspects came within transparency the ministry has to show
and its seriousness in dealing with the file of the wanted people.

"The ministry is determined to leave no wanted person at large and
it will focus on most dangerous criminals of those who were involved
in murders, kidnappings and banditry," the minister said.

In this regard, he affirmed the ministry has announced a reward for
information leading to the arrest of Abu Raweyah, a most wanted
killer, burglar and bandit.

The Ministry of Interior announced late last month the number
of wanted people it could arrest over the last year and in
the first month of this year reached 4000 suspects.

FR