Illegal pilgrims caught sleeping in shopping mall

A recent video showing illegal pilgrims sleeping between shelves at Makkah’s biggest shopping mall next to the Jamrat (stone-throwing) area has prompted action from authorities.
The video, which was published on Sunday and which is believed to have been taken in the evening, showed pilgrims eating in the halls while others slept.
Mohammad Al-Sahli, a member of the city’s human rights commission and head of a research and study center at Umm Al-Qura University, blamed several authorities for this phenomenon and security failure.
“The Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution should follow up on the situation and take penal action against intruders to deter pilgrims from thinking they can get away with such behavior,” he said.
Sleeping in public areas is still a major cause for concern among Haj authorities despite intensified security checks, which helped stop more than 250,000 illegal pilgrims from entering Makkah ahead of Haj.