Border Guards foil 7,566 escape bids

DAMMAM — As many as 7,566 people were caught last year while trying to cross the Saudi borders in order to escape from the country, Makkah daily reported on Sunday quoting a Border Guard spokesman. Col. Saher Al-Harbe said these renegades were escaping because they were wanted in criminal cases such as robberies, embezzlement, debts and problems with their sponsors or for their involvement in security issues. The spokesman said the same year, 115,286 people tried to sneak into the Kingdom but were caught and dealt with according to relevant rules and regulations. Harbe also said 13 people were arrested last year while they were attempting to travel to Iraq. Retd. Col. Abdullah Bin Mahfouz, a  Border Guard consultant,  said the escapees included medical doctors, accountants and people in various other professions. He said most of those who tried to escape out of the Kingdom were holding regular residence permits (iqamas). Mahfouz said some of the arrested men had plans to join terrorist organizations outside the country. A Border Guard source, who opted not to be identified, said in addition to using thermal cameras and night-vision equipment, the Border Guard personnel are also taught tracing footprints. "The personnel have gained great skills to the extent that they can tell the sex and age of people from their footprints," he said. The source said many infiltrators approached the guards exhausted after crossing difficult terrains and some of them with snake or scorpion bites. "We give them medicines and serve them food before handing them over to the concerned authorities," he added.