According to police sources, the positive identification by four persons besides the confessional statement by the attacker himself was enough for them to proceed ahead. The assailant's sketch was made by one of the employees of the Investigation Unit based on the description given by the victims and the eye-witness, which was then distributed among patrolling officers deployed all over spot in Sharjah.

Brigadier Saleh Al Mutawa, Director General of Sharjah police told Khaleej Times that theattacker, GSP, a 28-year-old citizen of Sri Lanka who was working in a computer company in Sharjah as an engineer, was arrested in the wee hours of Monday at King Faisal Road. He was approached by the patrolling officers who observed GSP for a while since he was behaving abnormally. They arrested him after confirming that his features resembled the sketch image.

After interrogation by the police, the suspect was produced before the eyewitness and the victims separately, and they identified him and confirmed that he was the one who attacked them.

Brig Al Mutawa revealed that three people were taken into police custody since their features matched the sketch. But, when the victims and eyewitness failed to identify them, they were immediately released. The suspect has legal residency for Sharjah and had entered the country through Dubai Airport three months ago.

Brig Al Mutawa said that during interrogation, GSP initially denied that he had assaulted the women, but after identification by the victims and eye-witness, he confessed to his crime. The suspect claimed he was suffering from mental disorder in the past one year and was under treatment in a clinic in Sharjah. He is a religious person and was continuously praying and seeking God's blessing to cure him of his illness. He is married and has children who are staying with his parents in Sri Lanka.

Brig Al Mutawa said the police were investigating teh clinic angle and would also refer GSP to a psychiatrist to cross-check his claim.

In his confession, GSP said he had only assaulted the four women, which was known to the police. 

Brig Al Mutawa stressed that the police officers succeeded in arresting him after they intensified their effort by increasing the number of patrolling parties on all roads in Sharjah. The officers of the Investigation Unit and other sections spread out all over Sharjah, besides taking precautionary measures and security procedures to protect members of the society from being assaulted. "Peace has been restored in the emirate after the capture of this man who created panic among public," he added

A colleague of the suspect said she couldn't believe what had happened, stating that GSP was a "very polite and well-mannered person with no indications of odd behavior while he was in office."

Sri Lankan Consul General P.D Fernanado declined to comment on grounds that he had not received any official communication about his arrest from the Sharjah Police.

He said, like others, he had also learnt of the arrest of the serial asssailant from media reports. "The reports stated the serial assailant's nationality was Sri lankan, but no official confirmation has been received by the Sri Lankan Consulate in Dubai," he added. He also denied any Sri Lankan Consulate official being summoned by the Sharjah Police for verification of the assailant's nationality and his resident status in the country.

Fernando also denied any contact with the serial assailant's family members. "Since the reports will be flashed in Sri Lankan papers only today, his family or friends might try and get in touch with us in a day or two. But, as of now, his family has not contacted us," he said.

Fernando was upset that the large Sri lankan community residing in UAE may be embarrased when his nationality is revealed.