Saudi Arabian officials are warning that only people with official permits can perform the sacred journey to Mecca as police clamp down on scammers targeting Muslim pilgrims.
A number of people have been arrested in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks for running illegal Hajj schemes aimed at defrauding pilgrims by selling them fake permits and non-existing services.
Local authorities announced yesterday that two suspects were arrested in Mecca for selling fake permits and running false advertisement campaigns. Police found cash and forged documents in their possession, and the suspects were referred to court.
If convicted, they could face fines, imprisonment, and the confiscation of illicit gains. The arrests follow a spate of similar cases in April and May involving Chinese, Egyptian, Indonesian, and Kyrgyz nationals detained for permit-related fraud and fake social media campaigns.
More than 400 fake Hajj agencies were uncovered by the authorities in Saudi Arabia before the annual pilgrimage and penalties were imposed on more than 23,000 Saudi residents over pilgrimage violations, according to officials.
Hajj, held annually, is a mandatory religious duty that all physically and financially capable Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetime. This year, the five-day pilgrimage will take place from June 4th to June 9th.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to Mecca every year, with approximately 1.4 million already in the city and more expected to arrive in the coming days. Additionally, more than 269,000 people who did not have permits were stopped from entering the city.
Anyone trying to perform Hajj without a permit can face fines of over $5,000, along with other penalties such as deportation.
Permits can only be acquired through an official Nusuk app or website. They are required to help control crowds and ensure security during an event that has seen deadly incidents in the past, including stampedes and other tragedies.
More than 1,300 people died during last year’s pilgrimage, which took place in sweltering heat. Many of the deaths were linked to the extreme temperatures. The majority of victims did not have official permits, according to Saudi authorities.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said that drones would be used for the first time during Hajj for surveillance and monitoring, as well as extinguishing fires. According to authorities, the world’s largest cooling system was also installed in Mecca’s Grand Mosque.
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