“Many of these overstayers had fled to these villages and hamlets to avoid police raids. A large number of these 41 people had taken refuge in deserted houses and courtyards in the small province of Thuwal,” said a police spokesman.
Police also recovered a large quantity of forged iqamas that had been used by the overstayers to secure jobs. The raids were led by Capt. Naif Shahir and Col. Abdul Karim Al-Rouki.
Brig. Salim bin Bakheet Al-Zahrani, director of the Passport Department in the Makkah region, said around 1,700 illegal foreigners are arrested on a daily basis in Makkah and Jeddah.
He cautioned people not to give overstayers jobs and accommodation and to report them to police. “Illegal foreigners constitute a direct threat to society as they may commit crimes and go undetected.”
