MAKKAH, 16 July — Sheep traders from villages surrounding the holy city of Makkah resort to various ploys to bypass health regulations. Following the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease in the country, city officials have banned traders from bringing livestock to the city without a medical certificate duly stamped by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water
Munahee Al-Wedaynani, a sheep trader, said he brought a truckload of sheep to the city from Trubah the other day. When he reached the checkpoint, he drove through desert tracks behind the mountains until he entered Makkah.
“Sheep trade is my only source of income. I have no option but to sell them in Makkah,” said Wedaynani, who added that he has seldom been caught.
Mas’ad Olaiyan, another sheep trader from Al-Khurmah, said he brings sheep into Makkah almost every week. “I am an expert in smuggling sheep into the city,” said Olaiyan, adding that he always entered Makkah through the checkpoints without being caught.
After getting tired of driving through the desert, Olaiyan bought a mini bus; he tinted its rear windows and removed back seats. “I fill the mini bus with sheep and I make my women family members to sit in the front seats. This way I bluff the border patrol and pass through the checkpoints without being stopped,” said Olaiyan.
The traders alleged that some policemen accepted bribes to let in sheep without a medical certificate. “When we get caught, officers sometimes ask for a sheep or two to allow us to pass,” said Wedaynani.
Capt. Ateq Al-Qurashee of the highway patrol, however, denied the accusation and said police officers knew that they would be severely punished if caught accepting bribes.
“These traders are aware of the consequences of their actions if they are caught. Therefore, they try to bribe the officers in many ways,” said the captain.
He said traders who show medical certificates of their livestock to be disease-free would be allowed to enter Makkah.
Olaiyan said: “The sheep undergo a medical checkup at slaughterhouses in Makkah anyway. Then why should we produce a medical certificate at the border checkpoint? No customer would buy a sheep and slaughter it without making sure that it’s healthy.”
The captain said, “The slaughterhouses do their job in keeping with regulations and so do the highway patrol. If everyone tries to shift responsibilities to others, we will have many tragedies here.”
