Beware of jambiya-snatchers

When in Yemen, leave your fancy dagger at home:

Abdul Wali Ali al-Robaiyee, 67, of Sana’a, owner of 30 very pricey jambiyas, describes one of the ways that thieves use to snatch a jambiya from an unsuspecting victim. First, the attacker tosses a cloud of spices into the eyes of the victim, temporarily blinding him. This gives the thief enough time to snatch the jambiya from its sheath and flee. This procedure is mostly done in the old city of Sana’a, because streets are narrow and winding, making escape easy, said al-Robaiyee.

“In the old city of Sana’a this happens more than any other place. The small streets and the numerous side roads can make the victim very distracted, so that he loses the thief quickly.” “Some even run into stores or even homes, making it easier for them to disappear. The victim would stay at least five minutes with his eyes blurry and burning, and in the end he lost a very costly jambiya.” The number of jambiya thefts has been greater this year than ever before, said Abdul-Salaam al-Shibami of the Sana’a police department in Bab al-Yemen.

“It started more than 10 years ago, but now it is increasing, and thieves are using different techniques. I advise older people who walk alone during the later part of the night not to wear their jambiyas for their own safety.”

Posted by David on May 18, 2007 10:00 PM