Madinah raids net 5,469 illegal residents

RIYADH: The police last month arrested 5,469 people who have been living in the Madinah region in violation of local regulations. Madinah police chief Maj. Gen. Abdul Hadi Al-Shahrani said Sunday police were able to arrest these expatriates of different nationalities, who violated the local labor and immigration regulations. He added that the number of illegals arrested in Madinah reached 100,000 from the time the campaign was launched in the region last year. The police chief also said that the raids were carried out with the cooperation of other law enforcement agencies. He pointed out that those arrested have been kept in government custody in prisons and they will be deported after a formal inquiry to ascertain the degree of their individual offenses. He also asserted that the campaign will continue in the coming weeks to flush out illegals from the region. The suspects included workers without residency permits, persons who do not work in the professions mentioned in their residency permits, those who work for different sponsors, men, who had run away from their sponsors and also illegal vendors hawking their wares at public places. During operations, police cordoned off areas to block the illegal workers from running away from the scene. Police conduct regular inspections to apprehend illegal workers to curb crimes such as thefts, sorcery, illegal employment, liquor brewing and other nefarious activities. According to official, most of the crimes in the Kingdom are committed by illegal residents who have overstayed their visas. Consequently, the government has intensified its campaign against residents who have overstayed their visas. -arabnews