49 Indonesians held in Saudi for illegal residence

Saudi police raided two villas in the Gulf Kingdom and rounded up 49 Indonesian men and women accused of staying illegally and violating the conservative country’s ban on gender mixing, newspapers reported on Wednesday.

A large police force stormed the two villas in the western town of Makkah and seized the 49 on Tuesday night, they said.

“They were staying illegally in Saudi Arabia and violating rules banning gender mixing,” a police source told Sabq daily, which said the 49 would be deported.