160 drivers fined for smuggling pilgrims

JEDDAH: The Passport Department has fined 160 drivers who smuggled illegal pilgrims to the holy sites of Makkah last year as part of the government’s efforts to stop the tendency of people going for Haj without a permit.
“Each smuggler is fined SR 10,000 for each pilgrim he transported. One of the drivers has been fined SR 470,000, because he carried a full busload of illegal pilgrims,” the director of the expatriate administration under the Passport Department in Jeddah, Brig. Hussain Al-Harithy said.
The Haj permit system was introduced with the aim of avoiding domestic pilgrims flooding the Haj locations in huge numbers and disrupting the Haj plans. A citizen or expatriate is permitted to perform Haj only once every five years.
“An illegal transporter will be sent from the checkpoint to the expatriate administration, where he will be investigated and then released on bail; however, he should attend the trial on a later date before a three-member administrative committee set up by the order of the Higher Authorities,” Al-Harithy said.
He added that 160 men were found guilty of violating the pilgrims’ transportation regulations last year. The passengers they carried included illegal workers who violated residence and labor regulations, Al-Madinah daily reported on Sunday.
Most smuggling attempts are made on the days when pilgrims start moving to Mina or Arafat.
Security officials keep a round the clock watch on 60 roads that are commonly used for smuggling pilgrims to Makkah or the holy sites. Women inspectors are recruited to check female pilgrims.
The chief of the administrative committee briefly described the mode of operations of the administration, saying: “Firstly, all the vehicles carrying pilgrims are checked at checkpoints on the security belt at the borders of Makkah. If a driver is found carrying a passenger who does not possess a legal iqama or Haj permit, he is detained. The illegal pilgrim will be sent back to where he started his journey if he has a valid iqama, or sent to the deportation center if he does not a valid iqama.”
If the administrative committee finds the driver violated the regulation, it hands the driver either a fine between SR 10,000 to SR100,000 on each of the passenger he carried or six months jail time, or both the punishments together.
If the illegal pilgrim in the vehicle is a Saudi or an expatriate with valid iqama, the punishment will not exceed SR 10,000. The punishment also includes the seizure of the vehicle used for the violation.
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal earlier launched a campaign mainly aimed at creating awareness among domestic pilgrims about the need to obtain a permit before going for Haj.