Director General of Passports Maj. Gen. Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Yahya said arrival procedures for pilgrims from outside the Kingdom were completed on Sunday with around 1,374,206 pilgrims entering the country to perform the holy rituals, local media reported.

He confirmed that 534 counterfeit Haj visas and incorrect passports were seized in the process and their holders were sent back to their countries.

“In addition, authorities arrested 11 persons, of which 10 individuals were in violation of the regulations. They were fined SR240,000, with prison sentences, and three of their vehicles were confiscated,” said Al-Yahya.

Al-Yahya was speaking during a press conference with the attendance of the commander of Haj forces in the Passport Department Brig. Daifallah bin Satam Al-Huwaifi and other officials from the Passport Department.

He said the Passport Department provided qualified manpower and the advanced technological appliances for the arrival phase to ensure the speedy and accurate completion of arrival procedures for each individual pilgrim.

“The number of pilgrims entering the Kingdom via the country’s airports amounted to 1,325,189, via land crossings to 36,094, and 12,923 pilgrims via Jeddah Islamic Port,” he added.

He pointed out that his department formed seasonal administrative committees positioned at the entrances of Makkah who work around the hour with manpower of about 4,400 officers and individuals, all empowered to implement the necessary sanctions against those who violate the specific regulations and directions for Haj.

“We managed to arrest 67 persons with fake visas coming through the airport, and another 467 persons through land crossings,” he added. He noted the department is using a state-to-the-art device called “eye of the hawk” that can detect forgeries.

Speaking on the legal punishments against transporters of pilgrims without permits he said: “There are several sanctions imposed, including prison terms of 15 days and a fine of SR10,000 against whoever transports any pilgrim not carrying a legal permit. The regulations also demand the confiscation of the vehicle with a court order if he is the owner, or involved in any way in the transport operation.”

He added that if the violation is repeated, the violator will be imprisoned for two months and fined SR25,000 per pilgrim transported. For the third-time violation, said Al-Yahya, the violator will receive a prison sentence of six months and a fine of SR50,000 per pilgrim transported.

He said: “If the violator is an expatriate he will immediately be deported and barred from entering the Kingdom for a period specified in the regulations. In addition, transporting infiltrators or covering them up or helping them in any way will entail a fine of SR100,000, and in case the violation is repeated, sanctions may entail imprisonment of two years and deportation if the violator is an expatriate, as well as confiscation of the vehicle.”

The commander of Haj forces and deputy director general of the Passport Department also said the seasonal administrative committees at Al-Shumaisi center for public services and the Expatriate Department in Taif issued 265 administrative decisions against citizens and residents during the past Haj season.

“Their violations involved transporting infiltrators and shielding, employing and helping them. The sanctions included total imprisonment of 89 months and fines of SR14,289,700 with about 58 vehicles confiscated,” said Al-Huwaifi.

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