Manama: Saudis have called for the strict application of the law following reports that five people were allowed to go home after they were caught serving sheesha to men and women in Makkah.

Under Saudi laws, no sheesha can be smoked in public or served within the confines of the city, considered as the most sacred area in the world by Muslims.

The suspects, from an Arab country, were arrested by members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, the religious police, who acted on a tip the men were breaking the law.

Following routine verification of the information, the members raided the facility and arrested the five men, Saudi news site Sabq reported.

The suspects were referred to the police who reportedly released them on bail after they were questioned over the matter.

A source said that the suspects had been arrested and released in the past, prompting social media users to call for stringent application of the law.

“The core problem is that these people do not really care about the kingdom and the people who smoke their sheesha,” Rasi said. “All they want is to make money, and more money. The law should be enforced so that there is no trespassing or violation,” he said.

Bahar, another blogger, said the case would be repeated several times and the breaking of the law would continue as long as there is leniency towards who do not uphold it.

Another blogger, writing under the moniker of Server, called for a strict application of the law.

“In fact, I call for a blanket ban on sheesha in Saudi Arabia so that people stop wasting their money [and ruining their health]. I know some people will be angry, but it is in the interests of the nation to have sheesha banned,” Server said.

According to official figures, Saudi Arabia is home to six million smokers, including around 800,000 teenagers, mainly intermediate and high-school students, and 600,000 women.

However, expatriates also account for a significant proportion of cigarette consumption in Saudi Arabia despite the increase in the number of awareness campaigns about health risks related to smoking and passive smoking and the adoption of several legislative restrictions.