Hoards of cash, some of it squirrelled away in false ceilings and water tanks, have been seized in a widening anti-corruption crackdown in Saudi Arabia that has evoked both awe and fear.
The clampdown, which has ensnared top-ranking military officials as well as low-level bureaucrats, is widely dubbed as a "mini Ritz" operation, a reference to a 2017 swoop that saw princes and tycoons locked up in Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton hotel on graft charges.
In dramatic gumshoe-style investigations published on state media, the official anti-corruption agency Nazaha says it has caught bribe-seekers "red-handed" in live raids and sniffed out illicit cash hidden in attics, an underground safe and even a mosque.
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The crackdown has led to dozens of arrests in recent months and sent confiscated cash to state coffers -- and has won praise from the public.
Saudis have been offered a toll-free number to report any suspected cases of corruption.
"The message (Saudi) rulers are sending to the corrupt is that 'you won't be going to the Ritz, you will be going to a real prison'," a local official told AFP, declining to be named.
"Anyone taking bribes and kickbacks now fears, 'are we next?'"
Underscoring the seriousness of the campaign, Nazaha reported in October the arrest of one of its own employees for corruption.
Saudi Arabia, which ranks 51 out of 180 countries on Transparency International's corruption index, has for decades faced endemic graft and the deeply ingrained social practice of "wasta", or using influence and personal connections to get ahead.
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But the issue has gained a new spotlight since November 2017, when the opulent Ritz-Carlton became a gilded prison for dozens of elites swept up in a purge that critics labelled a shakedown and a power grab by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Following weeks of detention, wealthy princes and businessmen were released after agreeing significant financial settlements, with authorities saying they recovered more than $107 billion.
- 'One sheriff in town' -
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The recent drive, targeting everyone from powerful defence chiefs to low-key municipal, health and environment officials, reinforces the iron reign of Prince Mohammed, the 35-year-old heir to the throne who already controls all major levers of power.
As one observer in the kingdom put it, the drive emphasises that "there is only one sheriff in town".
Prince Mohammed told the advisory Shura Council last month that the anti-corruption campaign had yielded 247 billion riyals ($66 billion) over the last three years in addition to assets, real estate and stocks worth billions more.
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But the crackdown has raised concerns, with Human Rights Watch warning earlier this year of "unfair legal proceedings" in an opaque judicial system.
There has also been hushed speculation over whether the clean-up was a cover to replenish state coffers amid a sharp economic downturn.
One Saudi academic said he suspects the "real targets are not the corrupt, but fines and new sources of revenue".
There is no transparency, the academic told AFP, over how the government will utilise the seized cash and assets.
Others have suggested that the campaign aims to weed out security officials not deemed loyal enough to the rulers.
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"While I imagine there are a few political opponents caught in the corruption net, the primary reasons for the crackdown are ending corruption, spurring development and raising badly needed funds," David Rundell, former chief of mission at the US embassy in Riyadh, told AFP.
"And it seems to be working. Many Saudi businessmen tell me that corruption has declined -- not gone away, but declined and become less socially acceptable," he added.
- 'Undermine opponents' -
Local observers describe the drive as necessary shock therapy to steer the petro-state away from a decades-old culture of excess and poor accountability that it can ill-afford in an age of soft oil prices.
The widespread "cancer" of corruption was "endangering development and prosperity", depleting "five to 15 percent" of the annual state budget, Prince Mohammed told the Shura Council.
But raising speculation that it was also a tool against political rivals, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote in July that the kingdom was preparing "corruption and disloyalty charges" against deposed former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef, who has been detained since March.
Saudi authorities have not publicly commented on the reasons for his detention.
Further triggering shockwaves, joint forces commander Prince Fahad bin Turki -- a senior royal -- and his son Abdulaziz bin Fahad, the deputy emir of northern Al-Jouf region, were fired in late August and placed under investigation for corruption.
Such moves illustrate an attempt by the Saudi establishment to "undermine possible opponents", Capital Economics said in September.
"The experience of the 2017 anti-corruption purge is that this could undermine renewed efforts to increase foreign investment in the kingdom," it said.
The Kansas Chiefs coughed up an uncharacteristic four turnovers but still beat the Miami Dolphins 33-27 on Sunday to clinch their fifth straight AFC West division title.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes received a rude welcome in his first appearance at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium since he earned MVP honors in a Super Bowl win over the San Francisco 49ers in February.
He was intercepted twice and sacked for an NFL-record 30-yard loss in the first quarter as Miami seized an early 10-0 lead.
But the Chiefs scored 30 straight points to seize control and fended off the Dolphins' fourth-quarter rally bid to improve to 12-1.
Miami's defeat gave the Chiefs' main competition for the AFC's top overall seed, Pittsburgh, a boost, securing the Steelers' first post-season berth since 2017.
The Steelers, chasing AFC North division title, took on the Buffalo Bills later Sunday.
Mahomes's three interceptions marked his first multi-interception game in more than two years. But he threw for 393 yards and two touchdowns.
"We won the Super Bowl here and just clinched the AFC West -- it seems every time we leave this stadium we have a hat about something we accomplished," Mahomes said. "The (bad) part, it seems, is like I have half my interceptions at this stadium."
Tyreek Hill scored on a 32-yard run and a 44-yard reception and Travis Kelce had eight catches for 136 yards and a TD.
Mecole Hardman returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown and Chiefs defender Chris Jones sacked Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a safety.
Tagovailoa passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns to Mike Gesicki, cutting the deficit to six points with less than five minutes to play before Harrison Butker kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Chiefs with just over a minute remaining.
Mahomes kept that drive going with a fourth-and-one pass to Hill.
"This is an explosive team, and they went on a run there," Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. "It was a quick spurt. That's how they're built -- they go on runs.
"We collected ourselves, and I thought our guys did a good job of that. We played with poise and got ourselves back in the game."
The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North division title with a 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Aaron Rodgers connected on three touchdown passes to three different receivers and moved into fourth place in NFL history for most games with three or more TD passes with 73 -- passing former Packers great Brett Favre on the list.
Rodgers also scored a rushing touchdown and the Packers defense knocked Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford out of the contest midway through the fourth quarter with a rib injury.
Davante Adams had seven catches for 115 yards and a TD for Green Bay -- his eighth straight game with a touchdown catch.
The Packers' win, coupled with the Detroit Lions' 26-14 loss to the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- saw Green Bay capture the division with three games remaining.
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And they're level with New Orleans for best record in the NFC after the Saints' 24-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Jalen Hurts made his first start at quarterback for the Eagles and provided the spark coach Doug Pederson was looking for.
Hurts threw for a touchdown and ran for 109 yards in a victory that kept Philadelphia in the hunt in a lackluster NFC East division led by Washington -- who beat San Francisco 23-15.
The Saints, with star quarterback Drew Brees still sidelined by rib injuries, saw a nine-game winning streak snapped and missed a chance to clinch the NFC South.
In the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans tightened their hold on first place with a 31-10 victory over the Jaguars in Jacksonville.
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Tennessee running back Derrick Henry ran for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Henry's fourth game with at least 200 yards and two TDs broke the NFL record he previously shared with Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and LaDainian Tomlinson.