MAKKAH, 9 December 2007 — The Passport Department in Makkah yesterday arrested 600 Indonesian overstayers who were residing in two villas rented by an unregistered Haj company in the Al-Aziziya district of the city. The Indonesians had arrived from Jeddah where they had been hiding while waiting for the Haj season.
The arrests were made following a tip-off by undercover police in Makkah, who noticed something suspicious about pilgrims living in the two buildings. All of the overstayers were Indonesian and included runaway maids.
Passport officials raided the first villa, arresting 440 pilgrims and their disabled Indonesian guide. Officials arrested 160 overstayers in the villa next door.
“The guide had been taking requests from overstayers in Jeddah who wanted to perform Haj. He agreed to sneak them into Makkah and gave them food and accommodation. The overstayers seem to have paid him well,” said a Passport Department official.
Some of the pilgrims had arrived in Makkah through the city’s surrounding mountains. Others were smuggled in vehicles, said the official, adding that one of the villas had been legitimately rented from its Saudi owner, who knew nothing of the overstayers.
“I wasn’t involved and knew nothing about them. I rented this building to an Indonesian fellow, who said he wanted the villa for private use. I never thought so many people could fit inside it,” the landlord said, adding that he did not want his name published.
Arab News interviewed the disabled Haj guide, who said he had done the same in previous years.
“Last year, I managed to arrange Haj for a large number of overstayers, mostly women and runaway maids. Some of the overstayers want to do Haj and also work as maids for pilgrims. It’s a good time to make money. They’re hitting two birds with one stone,” he said.
The man said he charged each overstayer in the first villa SR2,500 and those in the second villa SR2,000. “I had earned over SR1,420,000 from them,” he added.
Passport Department officials said the Saudi owner of the second villa was involved in the scam. “He knew full well what was happening. In fact, he lives in this villa and moved his family into a tent on the premises to make room for the overstayers,” said an official, adding that the owner, who has been arrested, said he wanted to make some quick money.
Some of the overstayers told Arab News how they crossed mountain passes and were asked not to attract attention in Makkah.
Ayed Al-Luqmani, manager of the Passport Department in Makkah, said that officials are on the hunt for overstayers. “This is just the first of more successful raids to come. We’re going to come down hard and tough on these guys,” he said.
