Makkah: The Ministry of Interior announced that the Hajj Security Forces at entry points to Makkah arrested 15 residents and 35 Saudi citizens for violating Hajj regulations by transporting a total of 205 individuals without Hajj permits.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the ministry issued administrative decisions through the seasonal administrative committees against the transporters, their accomplices, and those transported. The penalties included imprisonment, fines of up to SAR100,000, public naming of offenders, and deportation of residents with a 10-year ban from re-entering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the completion of their sentence.
The ministry also called for the judicial confiscation of vehicles used in the unauthorized transport of pilgrims and the imposition of a fine of up to SAR20,000 on those who attempted to perform Hajj without a permit.
The ministry urged all citizens and residents to comply with Hajj regulations to ensure the safety of pilgrims.