MAKKAH — The security authorities here arrested an expatriate man of Turkish nationality for attempting to steal some antiquities showcased in the Two Holy Mosques Architecture Museum that comes under the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.

The Turkish expatriate entered the museum via the restrooms. He managed to make his way undetected to the center of the museum, located in Umm Al-Jood district.

The man tried to steal some ancient antiquities by smashing the thick glass barriers inside the museum in an attempt to reach the most important antiquities and escape with them, sources confirmed to Al-Watan Arabic daily.

While carrying out the operation, which coincided with the change of shift for the museum’s security guards — the end and the beginning of the shifts, the Turk did not cover the noise created by his action in the knowledge that nobody was there.

However, the security guards, who were about to leave, heard some strange noises in the museum so they returned fast and checked the cameras. They saw the thief trying to escape from the scene.

The guards immediately called the security authorities, who arrived at the scene fast and apprehended the man, took him to Al-Azizia Police Station in Makkah to complete questioning, and refer him to the Public Prosecution on Sunday morning to take the necessary measures. — SG/SPA