JEDDAH, 14 July 2007 — With thousands of Saudis traveling abroad for their summer holidays, international gangs make use of the opportunity to snatch the maximum number of Saudi passports to sell to illegal migrants, terrorists and drug traffickers.
According to a report issued in 2005, 6,000 Saudi passports were lost or stolen in five years. “Many of these passports were lost while their holders were traveling abroad,” a senior official at the Passport Department said.
Every year, at the start of the summer vacation, the Passport Department instructs Saudis to take care of their passports when traveling abroad. “Your passport is your identity. Don’t lose it,” is the slogan of the department’s annual public awareness campaign, which also advises Saudi tourists not to visit suspicious and dangerous places.
Police reports showed the majority of Saudi tourists lose their passports while traveling in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Bahrain. They have also reported loss of passports while visiting the United States, Indonesia, Turkey, France and Italy. The majority of people who lose their passports live in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Al-Ahsa.
“Saudis should be aware of the fact that their green passports are the main target of criminals and terrorists,” said Col. Hussein Al-Harithy, a senior passport official in Jeddah.
Abu Khaled, a Saudi who lost his passport, said he had kept his passport in a travel bag inside his car. When he returned, he saw his car windows had been smashed and his bag missing.
Mohsen, another Saudi, said his passport was stolen from a rented flat while on holiday.
Mahmoud, another Saudi, lost his passport while visiting a European country. “I gave my passport to the hotel receptionist as is the normal procedure. When I checked out, I asked for my passport. The receptionist told me that he had given me the passport, which was not true. When I confirmed that I did not receive my passport, he told me that someone came demanding the passport and saying that it was his.”
Mahmoud had to prolong his stay by 18 days waiting for a temporary pass from a local Saudi embassy.
Hamdan believes that there is an international gang that looks for Saudi passports. He said that these gangs visit hotels where Saudis stay and demand passports from receptionists claiming they are the passport owners.
Saudi passports are used to illegally enter the Kingdom and carry out drug trafficking and money laundering activities.
“Losing a passport is very dangerous. It would cause a lot of problems,” said Adel Saqa, a legal consultant. “Some foreign gangs think that Saudis are oil barons and that they carry a lot of money,” he said, adding that Saudi passports could be used by terrorist organizations.
Dr. Habla Hasnain, professor of criminal sociology, blamed the loss of passports on the negligence of their owners. “Many tourists leave their passports on the table or television. Thieves can easily take them and run away. They should know that their passports could end up in the hands of terrorists and other criminals inside and outside the Kingdom,” she said.
