Info

100 pickpockets held at Hajj

RIYADH, Dec 19: Saudi police dressed as pilgrims seized around 100 pickpockets similarly disguised who were mingling with the two million Muslims performing the hajj, Saudi media said on Wednesday.

“Around 100 pickpockets wearing ihram clothing (two pieces of white fabric traditionally to be used later as a shroud) were arrested by security services around Jebel ar-Rahma,” (Mount Arafat) reported the Okaz daily.—AFP

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Many Fraud and Pick-Pocketing Cases Detected During Haj

A large number of fraud and pick-pocketing cases have been reported to the police during Haj this year, according to diplomatic sources and returning pilgrims. In many cases, the victims, mostly foreigners, are yet to recover their money or belongings, while they are now returning to their countries or work places in the Kingdom.

“An African and an Asian were caught red handed by secret security agents of Makkah police with 1,650 forged coupons for sacrificial animals before our eyes”, said Arif Yasin, a pilgrim from Riyadh, who was deceived by these two fraudsters. Yasin,

who returned last night, said that similar case have been reported by many of our friends and relatives, who became an easy prey to swindlers in Makkah and Madinah.

In another incident, “the Pakistan Haj mission handed over this week two Pakistani nationals to Saudi officials after they ran away with money taken from 26 pilgrims for slaughtering sacrificial animals”, said Sohail Ali Khan, press officer at the Jeddah-based Pakistani Consulate.

He said that the swindlers, Azad Shahid and Abdul Sattar Bashir Ahmed, currently under detention, were traced by the Mossassa South Asia.

The stolen money has since been returned to the pilgrims.A total of 150 pick-pockets were arrested from the Jamarat area during the stoning ritual, according to Col. Khader Zahrani, a Public Security official.

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Vaccination programme

A meningococcal (ACWY) vaccination is a mandatory visa requirement for those attending Hajj and recommended for those performing Umrah

Why have the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) created this package?

To guide the Muslim community travelling for Hajj and Umrah to Muslim Council of Britain partner meningococcal (ACWY) vaccination clinics convenient to pilgrims
To reduce the overall cost of this vaccination for pilgrims travelling for Hajj and Umrah

For more information please visit - http://www.mcb-vac.co.uk/

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Health Regulations for travellers to Saudi Arabia for Umrah& Pilgrimage (Hajj)-1434 (2013)

First: Regulations must be met by visitors to obtain an Entry Visa for Hajj and Umrah:

1- Yellow Fever

a) In accordance with the International Health Regulations 2005 , all travellers arriving from countries or areas at risk of yellow fever (listed below) must present a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate showing that the person was vaccinated at least 10 days and at most 10 years before arrival at the border.

In case of the absence of such a certificate, the individual will be placed under strict surveillance for 6 days from the date of vaccination or the last date of potential exposure to infection, whichever is earlier. Health offices at entry points will be responsible for notifying the appropriate Director General of Health Affairs in the region or governorate about the temporary place of residence of the visitor.

b) Aircrafts, ships and other means of transportation coming from countries affected by yellow fever are requested to submit a certificate indicating that it applied disinsection in accordance with methods recommended by WHO.

In accordance with the International Health Regulations 2005, all arriving ships will be requested to provide to the competent authority a valid Ship Sanitation Certificate. Ships arriving from areas at risk for yellow fever transmission may also be required to undergo inspection to ensure they are free of yellow fever vectors, or disinsected, as a condition for granting free pratique (including permission to enter a port, to embark or disembark and to discharge or load cargo or stores).

The following countries/areas are at risk of yellow fever transmission (as defined by the International travel and health 2012):

In Africa:
Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Soudan, Togo, Uganda

In South and Central America:
Argentina, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia , Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Bolivia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago

2-Meningococcal Meningitis

a) Visitors from all countries:

Visitors arriving for the purpose of Umrah or pilgrimage (Hajj) or for seasonal work are required to submit a certificate of vaccination with the quadrivalent (ACYW135) vaccine against meningitis issued no more than 3 years and no less than 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia. The responsible authorities in the visitor’s country of origin should ensure that adults and children over the age of 2 years are given 1 dose of the quadrivalent polysaccharide (ACYW135) vaccine.

b) Visitors from African Countries:

For visitors arriving from countries in the African meningitis belt, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and the Sudan, in addition to the above stated requirements, ciprofloxacin tablets (500 mg) chemoprophylaxis will be administered at port of entry to lower the rate of carriers.

c) Interior pilgrims and the Hajj workers Vaccination with quadrivalent (ACYW135) vaccine is required for:

All citizens and residents of Madinah and Makkah who have not been vaccinated during the past 3 years;
All citizens and residents undertaking the Hajj;
All Hajj workers who have not been vaccinated in the past 3 years;
Any individual working at entry points or in direct contact with pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

3-Poliomyelitis:

a) All visitors age under 15 years travelling to Saudi Arabia from countries reporting polio following importation or due to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in the past 12 months (as of mid-February, 2013, see list below) should be vaccinated against poliomyelitis with the OPV. Proof of OPV or IPV vaccination is required 6 weeks prior to the application for entry visa. Irrespective of previous immunization history, all visitors under 15 years arriving in Saudi Arabia will also receive 1 dose of OPV at border points.

Polio cases related to wild poliovirus importation or to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus have been registered during the past 12 months in the following countries: Chad, Kenya, Niger, Somalia and Yemen.

b) All travellers arriving from polio-endemic countries and re-established transmission countries, namely, Afghanistan, Chad, Nigeria and Pakistan regardless of age and vaccination status, should receive 1 dose of oral polio vaccine (OPV). Proof of polio vaccination at least 6 weeks prior to departure is required for visitors from polio-endemic and re-established transmission countries to apply for entry visa for Saudi Arabia and travellers will also receive 1 dose of OPV at borders points on arrival in Saudi Arabia. The same requirements are valid for travellers from recently endemic countries at high risk of re-importation of poliovirus, i.e. India.

4- Seasonal Influenza:

The Saudi Ministry of Health recommends that international pilgrims be vaccinated against seasonal influenza before arrival into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly those at increased risk of severe influenza diseases, including pregnant women, children under 5 years, the elderly, and individuals with underlying health conditions such as HIV/AIDS, asthma, and chronic heart or lung diseases.

In Saudi Arabia, seasonal influenza vaccination is recommended for internal pilgrims, particularly those at risk described above, and all health-care workers in the Hajj premises.

Second: Health Education

Health authorities in countries of origin are required to provide information to pilgrims on infectious diseases symptoms, methods of transmission, complications, and means of prevention.

Third: Food Material

Hajj and Umrah performers are not allowed to bring fresh food in Saudi Arabia. Only properly canned or sealed food or food stored in containers with easy access for inspection is allowed in small quantities, sufficient for one person for the duration of his or her trip.

Fourth: Responses to International Outbreaks

1- MERS-COV Precautions: The Saudi Ministry of Health recommends that elderly (above 65 years of age) and those with chronic diseases (e.g. heart disease, kidney disease, respiratory disease, diabetes) and pilgrims with immune deficiency (congenital and acquired), Malignancy and terminal illnesses, pregnant women and children (under 12) coming for Hajj and Umrah this year, to postpone the performance of the Hajj and Umrah for their own safety .

The Saudi Ministry of Health also advises all pilgrims to comply with common public health guidelines to curb the spread of respiratory infectious disease, which can be summarized as follows:

A – Wash hands with soap and water or disinfectant, especially after coughing and sneezing.

B - Use disposable tissues when coughing or sneezing and dispose it in the waste basket.

C - Try as much as possible to avoid hand contact with the eyes, nose and mouth.

D - Avoid direct contact with the infected persons (people with symptoms such as cough, sneeze, expectoration, vomiting, and diarrhea) and do not share their personal gadgets.

E- Wearing masks, especially when in crowded places.

F- Maintain good personal hygiene.

2- General Precautions: Updating immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases in all travellers is strongly recommended. Preparation for international travel provides opportunity to review the immunization status of travellers. Incompletely immunized travellers can be offered routine vaccinations recommended in national immunization schedules (these usually include diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, and mumps), in addition to those needed for the specific travel (e.g. meningococcal vaccination for Hajj).

3. Emergency Precautions: In the event of a public health emergency of international health concern, or in the case of any disease outbreak subject to notification under the International Health Regulations 2005, the health authorities in Saudi Arabia will undertake additional preventive precautions (not included in the measures mentioned above) following consultation with WHO and necessary to avoid the spread of infection during the pilgrimage or on return to their country of origin.

Please address any queries to the Deputy Minister of Health for Public Health in Saudi Arabia
(email: zmemish@yahoo.com).

Source: http://www.moh.gov.sa/en/Hajj/Pages/Healthregulations.aspx

National Hajj fraud campaign launches to raise awareness among Muslims planning to make the pilgrimage to Mecca

Youtube video
Hajj fraud national awareness campaign

Hajj fraud leaflet

Hajj fraud leaflets

The City of London Police has today (Oct 8) launched a national campaign to raise awareness of the threat posed to Muslims by Hajj fraud and to encourage victims to report to Action Fraud.

Every year up to 25,000 British Muslims make the pilgrimage to Mecca for Hajj - taking place October 13 to 18 - spending around £125 million. But the hidden reality is that thousands more will fall foul of fraudsters and have their dreams of a once-in-a-lifetime trip destroyed.

Even worse is the fact that Hajj fraud is being allowed to thrive because only a very small percentage of victims are reporting to Action Fraud, making it almost impossible for local police forces to catch those responsible.

To confront this problem the City of London Police, which is the national police lead for fraud, has teamed up with the Council of

British Hajjs and ABTA – The Travel Association to make a special Hajj fraud video.

The force is also working closely with the Muslim community, local forces, trading standards and local authorities to distribute leaflets and posters – translated into Arabic, Punjabi, Bengali, Somali, Urdu, Gujarati - across the UK over the next few weeks.

Commander Steve Head, National Fraud Co-ordinator for the City of London Police said:

“Hajj fraud is a devastating crime that every year is robbing Muslims of what could be their only opportunity to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.

“This national campaign has been designed so that together with the Muslim community and local forces we can understand the true scale of Hajj fraud, prevent people falling victim and help those who already have, and track down and bring to justice the fraudsters who make criminal capital by destroying other people’s dreams.”

How Hajj fraud happens

Muslims shopping around for the best deal on a trip to Mecca, both in their local community and increasingly online, are attracted by packages – flights, accommodation, visas – which appear to offer good value for money. Some operators are advertising large reductions.

Individuals are asked to pay in cash or make a direct bank transfer prior to their trip and are told they will receive their tickets and travel documents nearer to the departure date. For some they never arrive.

Mohammed, 36, from Birmingham lost £4,500 to a Hajj fraud. He felt deeply embarrassed but, importantly, reported the crime to Action Fraud:

“I was initially very careful to make sure I was only considering packages from legitimate travel companies. Unfortunately I then strayed onto websites that were offering very attractive deals, and I was persuaded to put my faith in them to deliver a great pilgrimage to Mecca.

As Hajj drew closer no tickets arrived and my agent stopped returning my calls, until I finally reached the point where I realised I had fallen victim to a horrible crime. Conducting my own research I came into contact with at least another 70 people who had also had their pilgrimages ruined in the same way.”

How to protect yourself and your loved ones from Hajj fraud

Do your research – Don’t book without carrying out some basic checks on your travel company
Make sure your travel company is a member of a recognised trade body, such as ABTA
If you are booking a flight based package make sure your travel company is ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) protected by the Civil Aviation Authority
Get everything in writing
Do not pay the travel company by cash or direct bank transfer into an individual’s account

Rashid Mogradia, CEO of the Council of British Hajjis said:

“Whilst the majority of Hajj tour operators deliver an excellent service, there are those who seek to tarnish the reputation of the industry by seeking to defraud British Muslim pilgrims of their life savings. Pilgrims must ensure they book with reputable and licensed tour operators."

Victims of Hajj fraud should report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or at www.actionfraud.police.uk

All reports are reviewed by the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and can be used to identify serial offenders and form the basis of police investigations.

- See more at: http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Media/News/081013-hajjfraud.htm#sthash.spyvVg0F.dpuf

Source: http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Media/News/081013-hajjfraud.htm