JEDDAH, 3 December 2006 — In a move to end the practice of selling forged purchase coupons of sacrificial animals to pilgrims during the Haj season, the Project for Utilization of Sacrificial Meat During Haj, the sole agency responsible for issuing such coupons, has asked the security agencies at all entry points to the Kingdom to be vigilant about smuggling in false coupons.
The coupons are issued to the pilgrims to sacrifice animals during the Haj at a fixed price. More than 750,000 coupons at a total cost of SR263 million may be sold this year at the 60 counters in Makkah during the current Haj season.
The project has signed contracts to import 750,000 sheep from various countries including Africa. The first consignments of the animals are expected to arrive in Jeddah shortly.
Ahmad Arif, supervisor at the project’s office, told Arab News yesterday that apart from coordinating with the security agencies at the entry points, the project has embarked on a media campaign to warn the pilgrims not to be cheated by false coupons. The project’s officials are also meeting with the representatives of the Haj delegations from various countries to make them be on the look out for spurious coupons.
“The monitoring task undertaken by the concerned agencies will, no doubt, uncover soon the companies which are involved in deceiving pilgrims by selling them spurious coupons of immolation at cheap prices. There is no agency other than the Project for the Utilization of Sacrificial Meat that is officially authorized to issue the coupons,” Arif said.
The official warned that any one found involved in selling false coupons will be handed over to police and then to the legal authorities to receive deterrent punishments.
The sacrificial meat will be distributed to the poor people in the Kingdom and more than 27 other countries. The coupons cost SR405 and are printed by the Islamic Development Bank.
Market sources fear that the price of the sacrificial animals will soar, as there is a severe shortage currently for the local sheep, which are in high demand.
