RIYADH, 28 January 2005 — A large number of fraud and pick-pocketing cases have been reported to the police during Haj this year, according to diplomatic sources and returning pilgrims. In many cases, the victims, mostly foreigners, are yet to recover their money or belongings, while they are now returning to their countries or work places in the Kingdom.
“An African and an Asian were caught red handed by secret security agents of Makkah police with 1,650 forged coupons for sacrificial animals before our eyes”, said Arif Yasin, a pilgrim from Riyadh, who was deceived by these two fraudsters. Yasin,
who returned last night, said that similar case have been reported by many of our friends and relatives, who became an easy prey to swindlers in Makkah and Madinah.
In another incident, “the Pakistan Haj mission handed over this week two Pakistani nationals to Saudi officials after they ran away with money taken from 26 pilgrims for slaughtering sacrificial animals”, said Sohail Ali Khan, press officer at the Jeddah-based Pakistani Consulate.
He said that the swindlers, Azad Shahid and Abdul Sattar Bashir Ahmed, currently under detention, were traced by the Mossassa South Asia.
The stolen money has since been returned to the pilgrims.A total of 150 pick-pockets were arrested from the Jamarat area during the stoning ritual, according to Col. Khader Zahrani, a Public Security official.
