Jeddah: Saudi authorities Tuesday foiled an attempt from a person trying to enter holy mosque, Mecca, disguising himself as women.
According to media reports, undocumented pilgrim tried to smuggle himself into Mecca to perform the annual Muslim ritual of hajj.
Saudi official Brigadier Aed al-Harbi said that 73 persons have been arrested for transporting Saudi citizens and foreign expatriates trying to enter Mecca without pilgrimage permits.
The Saudi general directorate of passports detained 281 expats who overstayed their residency permits in the kingdom and 207 individuals who tried to enter the country illegally, Harbi added.
He said 1,604 people without proper hajj clothing were returned from entrance points. Some of them, Harbi added, had forged passports or fake visas.
At least eight buses carrying pilgrims without legal permits were stopped at several highway patrol inspection points. Transporters were detained and could face fine, imprisonment or deportation.
Estimated 245,000 civil servants and employees were deployed to provide full support for the pilgrims, whose number is expected to reach about 3 million.
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