Illegals paid SR1500 each to enter holy site

Despite strict measures, some citizens and residents managed to smuggle illegal pilgrims into Makkah, Mina and Arafat on Sunday.
Some Saudis and expats without Haj permits hired private drivers, locally known as “Kaddadeen,” to help them evade security checkpoints and enter Makkah and Mina by circuitous and indirect routes, said a report. The Kaddadeen are said to have charged SR1,500 per illegal pilgrim.
After entering Makkah in normal clothing, the people put on the mandatory ihram and then slaughter a sacrificial animal for “dum” to atone for not wearing ihram before “meeqat.”
One smuggler said the situation this year was completely different and that the “entry through unpaved and risky roads was no longer possible due to the many security checkpoints.” As a result, smugglers agreed with their clients that they would not wear ihram.
“They were told to wear ihram only after they had passed through the security checkpoints,” said the smuggler. Religious scholars and experts have described this as a clear violation of the religious injunctions pertaining to Haj.
Nearly 253,000 illegal pilgrims were prevented from entering the holy sites by security personnel on Saturday and Sunday. Videos of security forces detaining pilgrims without Haj permits in Mina and Makkah went viral on social media.
Makkah police chief Maj. Gen. Said bin Salim Al-Qarni said 109 checkpoints were set up to prevent the undocumented pilgrims and unregistered vehicles from entering the holy sites.
The Directorate General of Passports said that fines totaling SR2 million and 795 days of imprisonment have been imposed against Haj transport violators.
It noted that seasonal management committees and centers in Makkah issued 58 administrative decisions against violators of Haj transport regulations.
Maj. Gen. Mohammed bin Muslim Al-Otaibi, head of the Haj Seasonal and Administrative Committees and Center at the Directorate General of Passports, said 11 vehicles were confiscated for illegal transport of undocumented Hajis.

Source: Arab News