The number of crimes in the Sultanate decreased by 25% during 2016 compared to 2015 , the lowest recorded in the last three years (2014-2016). The number of perpetrators decreased by 22.8% to reach 20,777 compared to 26,655 in 2015, according to the statistical data bulletin on crimes in the Sultanate for 2016, issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The statistics showed that the percentage of foreign offenders among the total number of offenders was 50. Three crimes are committed in the Sultanate every two hours and for every thousand of the population, and there are five offenders among every thousand, according to the NCSI data. More than half of the crimes was recorded in three governorates: Muscat, North Al Batinah and Dhofar, while the least crime was recorded in Musandam with a rate of 1.5%, while Al Wusta recorded the lowest percentage of perpetrators at 1.5% of the total population. Violation of regulations and laws formed the highest percentage of offenders at 22.8. A large percentage of violation was entering the country illegally (69%), violation of the law of residence of foreigners and the violation of the Labor Law were committed by 29.8% of the offenders under this category. The other crimes in this classification included violation of the fishing laws and the Omani passport and personal card.
The percentage of perpetrators of crimes against individuals amounted to 21.6. This category of offences include abuse (38.5%), insulting dignity (26.7%), violating the sanctity of housing (13.8%), quarrel (6.7%), threat and intimidation (5.6%), and 5%. Other crimes committed under this category were at 3.6%. The perpetrators of the financial offenses constituted 20.3% of the total number of offenders. This includes theft and attempted theft, committed by 59.4% of the offenders, abuse of the trust (17.4%), fraud (10.9%), damage (10.1%) and intentionally setting fire to property (1.7%). Crimes of money laundering and fire by negligence were committed by 0.4% of the perpetrators in this category.
The percentage of offenders in the crimes related to dealing with drugs amounted to 17.4% of the total number of offenders, while the percentage of crimes against the public administration and public trust was 4.6%. The other crimes in the category included forgery (35.2%), insulting employee (14.7%), misuse of job (13.4%), promotion of counterfeit currency (5.2%), and other impersonation of the employee, fulfilling the right and falsifying identity, providing false information, bribery, embezzlement, perjury, forgery and counterfeiting (5.1% each).
The perpetrators of the crimes of drinking and alcohol accounted for 3.6% of the total culprits. This category includes the crime of drinking committed by 66.3% and the smuggling, trade and manufacture of alcohol by committed by 33.7%. The percentage of crimes that come under sexual offences amounted to 0.9% of the total number of offenders. This includes prostitution (36.3% of the offenders in this category), inappropriate touching of opposite sex and sexual comments (33.4%) and adultery (14.8%). The other crimes under the category were gambling (5.6%), incitement to immorality and homosexuality (9%) and crimes against public display and morality (0.9%).
The lowest percentage of offenders was found in the crime of violating the Weapons and Ammunition Act at 0.7% of the total number of offenders, while the perpetrators of other crimes accounted for 6.1%. According to the age group of offenders, juveniles (9 to 17 years) accounted for only 3.7% of the perpetrators, mostly in financial crimes, accounting for 49.3% of all juvenile offenders in 2016. 41.2% of the total offenders was found to be in the youth group (18 to 29 years old), making it the largest percentage among adults. The most common crime among this group are the violation of foreigners' residence law at 24.2%. Most of the perpetrators were male, accounting for 94% of the Omani culprits and 87% of the foreign offenders.
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