TV
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Odisha, has busted a major Haj pilgrimage fraud by arresting one accused from Mumbai. The accused, Nabeel Abdul Mubin Shaikh was produced before the Designated Court under OPID Act, Balasore, on Monday after being brought to the state on a transit remand.
Nabeel was arrested based on the complaint filed by Mir Khursid of Kazimahala under Dhamnagar police station in Bhadrak against the proprietors of ‘Al-Adam Tour & Travels’. The tour and travels agency was allegedly run by Firdos Abdul Mubin Shaikh, her son Nabeel Abdul Mubin Shaikh and daughter Saima Anjum Shaikh, and Md. Bismillah Shaikh, the owner of AlIzma Tours & Travels of Vikhroli Kurla, West Mumbai.
It was alleged 189 devotees were duped of Rs 1.2 crore during the period from 2019-23 to arrange their pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia on the eve of UMRAH.
The EOW officials informed that the owners of both the tours and travels neither did they take the prospective pilgrims on pilgrimage nor did they refund the amount collected from them.
How The Fraud Took Place?
During the period from 2019-23, the accused proprietors of M/s Al-Adam Tour & Travel Agency floated advertisements on social media and distributed leaflets containing the lucrative packages, contact details and lured Muslim devotees to avail the opportunity under two of their tour packages of Rs 45,786 and Rs 50,786 per individual pilgrim to go on UMRAH pilgrimage to Arab countries like Mecca-Madina, EOW said in a release.
Senior officials informed that the accused assured the pilgrims of providing cheap, secure and safe pilgrimage. Prior to the fraud, the agency had taken the devotees on pilgrimage which made the devotees trust and avail the opportunity offered in the tour packages.
The Haj Pilgrimage Fraud Victims
Devotees from Bhadrak, Balasore, Baripada and other parts of Odisha had allegedly deposited money in the given accounts in the advertisements through bank transfers, apart from paying through UPI and cash. Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused and his mother are the authorized signatories of the accounts in which the pilgrims’ money was deposited.
The collection by the owners of ‘Al-Adam Tour & Travels’ continued till the first half of 2023 after which the proprietors switched off their mobile phones. A very few investors, who had insisted on the refund of their amounts, were given the cheques by the accused proprietors which were subsequently dishonoured by the bank.
Shocking Findings of Haj Pilgrimage Fraud
According to EOW, the agency has also collected huge amounts in a similar fashion from the prospective pilgrims of Maharashtra and Delhi apart from Odisha. Verification is going on whether any fraud has been committed there by the agency and its proprietor.
However, it is learnt that the tour packages cover the catering facilities extended by the Pakistani Nationals for which there was transaction between the Pakistani Nationals and the arrested accused which is still under verification, said EOW.
