PETALING JAYA: A married couple, owners of a travel agency, have been detained in connection with stranded Umrah pilgrims.
Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said both individuals, aged 31, were detained in Kuala Lumpur at about 7pm on Wednesday (January 15).
"We received seven police reports on stranded Umrah pilgrims who had opted for the services of the travel agency.
"A total of 379 victims have been stranded and suffered losses of about RM2.1mil," he said.
One of the victims, a 39-year-old woman, lost RM11,000 and was left stranded.
Comm Hussein said that the initial investigation revealed that the travel agency started in 2022, and its headquarters is at a three-storey building in Sepang.
"They allegedly duped victims through advertisements on TikTok about Umrah packages. Customers who are interested can buy the packages through agents appointed by the travel agency," he said.
The Selangor Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) raided the travel agency’s headquarters on Wednesday.
"We seized computers, passports, and documents pertaining to the investigation," he added.
Comm Hussein advised the public to be wary of Umrah packages offered on social media.
"Check the validity of the company offering the packages with the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry (Motac)."
