Party guests arrested for ‘suspicious activities’

AMMAN — Police on Thursday said they are questioning 14 individuals who were attending a birthday party late Wednesday night.

The party guests, mostly men, were arrested at a wedding hall on the Zarqa highway by a police force that stormed the premises after receiving a complaint of “suspicious activities”, Public Security Department (PSD) Spokesperson Major Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

“We received a complaint of suspicious activities that contradict our customs and traditions at the birthday party, and we decided to intervene,” Sartawi added, without further elaboration.

Special forces, accompanied by policewomen, headed to the premises and arrested the suspects without any major incident, the PSD official said.

Sartawi noted that some of those arrested are wanted on several offences, but ruled out illicit drug use during the party.

“We have referred the suspects to the concerned court to be questioned and indicted,” he said.

The charge against the suspects is currently “suspicious activities and it is up to the court to level the appropriate charge after questioning the group”, the PSD spokesperson added.

“It is our duty to refer any individual to the concerned court if he or she violates our customs and traditions,” Sartawi stressed.