Dubai Police Arrest Gang Offering Fake Umrah, Haj Visas On Social Media
Once payments were made, the scammers would block victims' contact numbers and disappear with the funds.
Authorities have urged the public to obtain pilgrimage visas only through licensed and authorised entities in the UAE.
In 2023, an investigation led to the arrest of a Sharjah-based tour operator whose firm was at the centre of a major Haj scam. The owner of Baitul Ateeq travel agency, who had collected nearly Dh3 million from around 150 residents, was taken into custody after dozens of complaints.
Victims say they paid the full amount for the pilgrimage but were left stranded days before departure, with no flights, visas, or refunds. The agency blamed visa delays and claimed refunds would be processed, but many say they never received their money back.
Among those affected was a widow in Sharjah who paid Dh130,000 to travel with her son. 'All I got was 13 per cent of what I paid, after filing a complaint,' she said. Another Dubai resident, Saquib Imam, who paid Dh20,000, says only Dh5,000 has been returned so far.
Several complainants also revealed that this was not the agency's first such incident. As early as 2020, customers reported paying large sums for Haj trips that never materialised. While the Covid-19 pandemic had suspended Haj travel that year, clients who booked through the same agency say they received only false assurances and no refunds.
The agency's owner had claimed he was selling property in India to repay customers and even explored filing a compensation case abroad, but failed to provide any concrete details or timelines.
Meanwhile, other cases continue to surface. Fayaaz Khan, another UAE resident, said he was duped by a company called Dream Travel in 2024. 'I paid Dh1,500 for an Umrah package last year. Now, none of their numbers work,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Two distribution companies fined and closed, 23 jailed in expiry date scandal
Two food distribution companies have been fined and ordered to close, with prison sentences handed to their owners and staff, following one of Bahrain's largest commercial fraud trials involving falsified expiry dates. The Sixth Minor Criminal Court sentenced the owner of the first company to three years in prison and fined him BD100,000. The second was fined BD101,000. A senior employee received a three-year term, while 19 workers were each sentenced to two years. All foreign defendants are to be deported upon completing their sentences. Suspension Both companies were fined BD10,000 and ordered to suspend operations for six months. The court also ordered the destruction of expired and adulterated food products, along with the equipment, chemicals and materials used to alter the dates. The case revolved around large quantities of expired goods being reintroduced into the market with forged shelflife labels. Original dates were either removed or concealed beneath newly printed ones to give the appearance that the products remained safe to consume. Complaint The matter came to light when a worker filed a complaint at Khamis Police Station (A) in the Northern Governorate. Having recently arrived in Bahrain and taken a job at one of the company's warehouses, he reported that he was instructed to repackage expired food with forged expiry dates. He refused to participate, recorded video evidence of the practice, and submitted a formal report. Following the complaint, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce ordered the immediate closure of the warehouse and its affiliated shops. Prosecutors visited the premises the same day. On-site inspection A team from the Public Prosecution conducted an on-site inspection, questioned 29 individuals comprising owners, supervisors and workers, and ordered their detention pending investigation. The warehouse and all outlets belonging to the company were placed under judicial custody. Inspectors from the ministry carried out a full inventory. They seized over 14,000 expired food items, along with various chemical substances used to erase original markings. Counterfeit dates Additional products originating from the same company and bearing counterfeit dates were discovered on sale in local markets. A forensic specialist from the Criminal Evidence Directorate examined samples and confirmed the expiry dates had been falsified through removal and relabelling. Eyewitness statements and police investigations supported the findings. Judgements Once the investigation concluded and evidence was secured, the Public Prosecution referred the matter to court. Judgements were issued shortly thereafter. Counsellor Wael Rashid Buallay, Assistant Attorney General, called on all food sector operators to comply fully with Bahrain's legal and regulatory requirements. He stated that any endangerment of public health constitutes a criminal offence and will be dealt with through strict legal measures.
Gulf Insider
5 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Bahrain: Court Upholds Fines For Raising Over BD26,000 Without Licence
Two former leaders of a professional society have been found guilty of gathering more than BD26,000 without official permission, after the Court of Cassation upheld previous rulings. The court imposed a fine of BD100 each on the society's former chairwoman and the former financial secretary. Judges also ordered the BD26,062 raised illegally to be seized by the authorities. Prosecutors said the two defendants had breached fundraising regulations by collecting donations without securing the proper government authorisation. Collection PracticesThe incident surfaced after the Minister of Social Development alerted prosecutors that civil society monitors in his department had discovered unlawful collection practices. In her defence, the ex-chairwoman insisted she never personally handled the BD26,062. She maintained the funds were directly transferred to the bank account of an event management firm hired to organise a conference, under an agreement with her association. Hotel ExpensesFrom that sum, BD15,000 was reportedly spent settling hotel expenses, for which she provided invoices, with the remainder handed to the organising company. However, the courts remained unconvinced by these claims, concluding the funds had been improperly raised without the mandatory approval.
Daily Tribune
6 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Over 1,000 Dead in Southern Syria Amid Clashes Involving Druze
More than 1,000 people have lost their lives in a week of intense fighting in southern Syria, according to a war monitor. The violence has involved Druze fighters, Sunni Bedouin tribes, Syrian government forces, and even Israeli airstrikes. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the deadly conflict has killed 336 Druze fighters and 298 civilians from the Druze minority, including 194 who were reportedly executed by Syrian security forces from the interior and defense ministries. The government side has also suffered heavy losses, with 342 security personnel confirmed dead. Additionally, 21 Sunni Bedouins have been killed, including three civilians who the Observatory says were executed by Druze fighters. Fifteen more members of government forces were killed in Israeli strikes during the same period. The Observatory has raised alarm over the brutal nature of the violence, particularly the number of summary executions, and warned that the situation in the region remains volatile.
