72 human trafficking cases booked in 2012

There were 72 cases of human trafficking in Saudi Arabia in 2012, a report published by the Ministry of Justice said.
This number amounts to about 0.11 percent of the total number of criminal cases, which the general and criminal courts in the Kingdom gave rulings.
The courts ruled on 65,669 cases last year. Seventy-one percent of cases (equivalent to 46,751 cases) involved Saudi nationals while 29 percent involved non-Saudis (equivalent to 18,918 cases).
The annual statistical report said that Riyadh recorded the highest number of human trafficking cases (48) on which rulings were issued. Of these cases, rulings against Saudis totaled 35 cases, while non-Saudis accounted for 13 cases.
In Makkah, 21 cases of human trafficking were recorded, of which two cases involved Saudi nationals.
Two rulings were issued in this regard in Madinah and only one case was reported against a Saudi national in the Northern Borders Province.
The report emphasized that the committee tasked with human trafficking issues should follow up on the condition of the victims.
It should also coordinate with authorities to repatriate the victims to their countries of origin or place of residence. The committee recommended retaining the victims in Saudi Arabia after legalizing their status.
Among the most prominent features of the system against human trafficking crimes is a ban on human trafficking in any form, including the use of threat, force, fraud or kidnapping. The system also prohibited exploiting one’s job or influence to facilitate operations of human trafficking or other forms of sexual abuse and enslavement.
Anyone found guilty of human trafficking crimes will be subjected to 15 years in imprison or a fine of SR1 million or both.
Penalties and punishments are more severe in cases where the victim is a woman, a person with special needs or a child.
The crime is defined as the recruitment or trafficking people for exploitation, including illegal actions for trafficking humans by way of threat, force, other forms of coercion or fraud to force the victim to perform illegal actions such as prostitution, or any other form of sexual exploitation, slavery and other such practices.