61 fake Hajj offices busted, 224,074 detained for violating Saudi regulations

A security officer at a checkpoint along the Makkah-Jeddah Expressway checks the documents of a motorist.

RIYADH: Addressing a press conference in Mina, Maj. Gen. Jamaan Al-Ghamdi, assistant commander of Hajj security forces said that since the beginning of the Hajj season, 61 unauthorized offices have been closed, and 10,533 Saudi citizens and 213,541 expatriates have been detained for violating Hajj regulations.
He further said that the number of vehicles entering and leaving Makkah till Sunday reached 340,929 cars, while the number of vehicles coming through the Kingdom’s borders reached 1,333 buses, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Maj. Gen. Zaid Al-Tuwayyan, assistant commander of Hajj security forces for road security, said: “The Hajj-related proceeding are smooth as no traffic accidents have been reported.” He maintained that all roads leading to Makkah are under strict control to monitor the movement and track potential violators of Hajj regulations.
All involved in the road security command are alert and ready to provide the highest security on highways leading to Makkah, and assist those injured in accidents should they need to be rushed to medical centers via aerial or land ambulances, he said.
Joining them in the briefing on Hajj preparations, Maj. Gen. Said bin Salim Al-Qarni, the commander of the police mission in the Makkah region, explained the police plan from the arrival of the pilgrims till departure to their respective countries.
The plan is meant to ease pressure on some 72 security control centers with the use of secret security units to deter the arrival of Hajj violators in Makkah and the holy sites, he said. Besides these arrangements, there are also 37 security centers around the holy sites to check for infiltrators, he added.
Moreover, Maj. Gen. Shiail Al-Shiail, the assistant commander of Hajj security forces for aerial patrols, touched on the role of these patrols which, he said support field security personnel through air monitoring on an around-the-clock basis. All major areas including Jeddah, Leith, Taif, Sail and Madinah have been covered to track any potential infiltration and to provide field commanders with accurate information on the situation on the ground, he said.