JEDDAH, 12 January 2005 — Male overstayers trying to pull the wool over officials’ eyes are pulling hijabs over their own. But they’re finding out that it takes more than an abaya to make a woman.
Passports Department officials manning Al-Shumaisy checkpoint on the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway have arrested a number of overstayers disguised in women’s clothes, Al-Watan newspaper reported. The illegal residents were on their way to Makkah.
Maj. Khaled Al-Harthi of the Passports Department said officials daily detect many cases of pilgrims disguised in women’s clothing trying to smuggle themselves into Makkah. “My female colleagues are a great help in detecting such cases, especially when families refuse to be inspected by male officials,” he added.
Al-Watan reported it witnessed police arresting overstayers in a van carrying men in disguise who wanted to smuggle themselves into Makkah and perform pilgrimage without a Haj permit.
When officials stopped another van and asked for license and registration and identification of the occupants, the driver said they were his family and that they did not have a family card. The official then directed the driver to the women’s section for inspection.
The driver demanded to speak to the major in private. He told him that the occupants were not his family but Indonesian women whom he was driving to Makkah for Haj. He had collected SR50 from each passenger. A female passport official detected a man among the occupants who was dressed as a woman and had him arrested.
Four hours after this incident, police stopped another car full of disguised men who were promptly arrested.
Police say human smuggling is very common these days — especially within the Indonesian community. Maj. Al-Harthi said at least five such cases are detected every day. In most cases the drivers are Saudis trying to make a fast, easy buck.
The Passports Department also discovered a diplomatic car involved in the smuggling operation. Police alerted the diplomat and handed the car over to him.
Passport officials say smuggling operations are common during these pre-Haj days. Once smuggled past the checkpoint, it is difficult to detect them. Some illegal pilgrims leave the car before the checkpoint and try to pass the checkpoint on foot. If they succeed, the same driver will pick them up once they are past the checkpoint.
