64 African infiltrators held
by MOHAMMED RASOOLDEEN
RIYADH: The Border Guard at Fifa in south Jazan, close to Saudi-Yemeni border, has arrested 64 Africans, 47 of them Ethiopians.
According to Mohamed Al-Ghazi, the chief administrator of Fifa, the Ethiopian infiltrators consisted 24 men and 23 women.
The Fifa Mountain, also known as Fayfa or Faifa Mountain, is the highest peak in Jazan with nearly 11,000 feet above sea level. It is part of the Al-Sarawat mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
According to reports, the infiltrators had braved the rugged terrain of the Fifa Mountain where people struggle to move around, especially on narrow paths.
It is suspected that the infiltrators had the blessings of the militants in Yemen to cross the border. According to Al-Ghazi, this is not only a case of human trafficking and a security threat but these people could also be involved in drug trafficking.
The southern part of Saudi Arabia is the most rugged and inaccessible. It is treated as little more than a huge door by many people from Yemen, Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea to sneak into the Kingdom from the south, sometimes on their way to the UAE.
Drugs, weapons, liquor and ammunitions are the goods most frequently smuggled into the Kingdom via such routes.
Smugglers frequently wear women’s clothes to conceal their identity. Police in Jazan arrested in the past several drug dealers disguised as women, some accompanied by their families so as to guarantee minimum security checks. Gangsters also use young children to distribute drugs in cities.
http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/873621
Received on Wed Feb 03 2016 - 11:47:11 EST