JEDDAH: Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman of the Interior Ministry, said at a press conference in Mina that preparations were on track for pilgrims to start their holy rituals, which will start on the seventh of the Dhul Hijjah.

Col. Sami Al-Shwairekh, chief of media and information at the Public Security Agency, said that 12,850 people were caught violating Haj laws and regulations.

During the first press conference of the agencies participating in the Haj operations at the Public Security building in Mina, Al-Shwairekh said 1,295 smugglers and 35,900 vehicles carrying illegal pilgrims were detained or turned back. He added that security forces detected 58 bogus Haj offices in different areas of the Kingdom.

Al-Shwairekh said the security and traffic plans are being carried out in the best manner possible to protect legitimate pilgrims, and follow up on their journey from the main roads and roads leading to and from the holy sites, and between the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the holy sites. He added that organizing and gathering pilgrims in Makkah and Al-Haram Al-Sharif and the expansion of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques have been fully completed without any disturbances.

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Haj Hatem Qadi said that a few remaining groups of pilgrims are on their way to Makkah while the rest are already inside.

“We are still scanning the pilgrims’ camps in Madinah to make sure that everybody has moved to the holy capital,” he said.

He added that the ministry has confirmed the readiness of camps in Mina and Mount Arafat to receive pilgrims. “Camps are ready to receive pilgrims tomorrow in Mina, and more than 95 percent of the camps for pilgrims in Arafat were handed to pilgrims,” he added.

Qadi referred to the toll free number for the ministry which is 8004304444. He explained that pilgrims and their supervisors can use the number to ask about pilgrims’ or delegations’ whereabouts.

He said that more than 1,150,000 liters of Zamzam water were transferred to Makkah.

He said that the ministry has conducted more than 10,000 inspections to confirm the readiness of Haj residences in Makkah and Mashaer as well as rescheduling and adjusting all travel bookings for pilgrims.

He stressed that 5,000 vehicles were handed to officials running Haj and Tawafa affairs adding that 20,000 busses were prepared to serve pilgrims.