EDDAH: ARAB NEWS
Monday 3 December 2012
An administrative court has slapped a fine of SR 280,000 on a smuggler of illegal pilgrims to Makkah during the past Haj season. The punishment also included jail time and the confiscation of his vehicle. In a similar incident, the court also fined another smuggler SR 110,000.
The administrative committee of the Passport Department looked into the violations committed by 80 smugglers during Haj season, Al-Madinah daily reported yesterday.
There are two types of pilgrim smuggling during the Haj season. The more serious violation is helping illegal residents into the country to travel to Makkah or the holy sites. The other violation entails transporting pilgrims without the mandatory Haj permit.
The amount of the fine varies depending on the seriousness of the violation and the number of illegal pilgrims the accused transports to the holy city. The minimum fine for smuggling a single illegal pilgrim is SR10,000. If the smuggler repeats this crime again the fine is doubled.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Saudi Arabia