DAMMAM – People who smuggle sand from the deserts of the Eastern Province not only endanger the country's environment but also put lives at risk by leaving deep holes that often trap horse riders and desert drivers. Recently two young Saudis sustained serious injuries after falling into a 40-meter deep hole left behind by sand smugglers in a desert outside Riyadh. Their horses were killed in the accident. A video clip showing the freak accident went viral on social media, with viewers denouncing unrestrained sand smugglers. The accident took place as the two young men were engaged in a horse race along the Riyadh-Dammam Expressway and they were caught unawares by the deep hole. Witnesses ran to the rescue of the two young men and took them to hospital. The incident triggered anger among citizens and residents who raised their voice against smugglers who dig up sand from tourist hotspots, endangering people's lives. They urged the authorities to impose strict punishment on sand smugglers. "When will people of these affected regions raise their voice against sand smugglers?" asked Abu Saad. "These gangs smuggle sand in daylight and under the nose of municipal officials and the police. We don't see the authorities impounding their vehicles," said Shulaiweeh Al-Qahtani. Fawaz Al-Harbi criticized regional governorates for such incidents as they do not take any action against the perpetrators who freely transport sand without any fear. "The governorates should be held responsible for this chaos," he told Al-Hayat Arabic daily. Nasser Al-Humaidani also denounced the authorities for not taking action against sand smugglers. Many of them transport sand from the Eastern Province to Bahrain for land fill. "Fines are not enough to stop these criminals," said Abu Nahar. "The deep holes created by smugglers threaten the lives of people. Companies that transport sand, municipalities and the civil defense should take responsibility for this illegal activity," he added. According to the regulations issued by the Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry, the transport of sand and earth from unauthorized areas is punishable by fines of between SR1,000 and SR3,000 and the vehicles will be impounded for a week. Licensed transporters who neglect to place warning signs near the pits could be fined up to SR10,000. Sand smuggling takes place mainly in the Eastern Province. The local municipality has seized 240 trucks transporting sand illegally from Dammam and Dhahran and collected SR714,000 in fines from their owners. Violations were noticed outside residential districts west of Abu Hadriya Road, northwest of King Fahd township, north of King Fahd Road and along the airport road. Security agencies have stopped thousands of trucks that illegally transported sand in the past, including 500 trucks in Dhahran alone in 2015. Most gangs of sand thieves are led by illegal foreigners who make SR1 million in estimated profits every month, Al-Hayat reported.
