SHAH ALAM: Police have detected elements of fraud in a case involving a travel agency related to an alleged Umrah scam, which resulted in losses totalling RM2.1mil, says Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan.
He said the investigation also revealed that the company owner had a prior record involving an investment fraud case in Johor last year, which is still under investigation.
"There are clear indications of fraud as the visa applications, flight bookings and accommodation arrangements in Saudi Arabia were not conducted in accordance with the standard procedures typically adhered to by travel agencies.”
He said this to reporters after a press conference on the arrest and seizures by the Criminal Investigation Department at the Selangor Police Contingent Headquarters here on Sunday (Jan 19).
Hussein said the married couple who owns the agency has been handed over to Johor police for further investigation, while six other individuals detained in connection with the case have been released on police bail.
He added that police have so far received 42 reports from victims, agents and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry. Witnesses and victims are being called in to assist with the ongoing investigation.
"The company also operated through agents, which is why this case involves other states such as Kuala Lumpur and Johor. For now, the couple has been handed over to Johor police for further investigation,” he said.
Last Wednesday, the Selangor Contingent Commercial Crime Investigation Department raided the travel agency’s office in Sepang.
That same evening, the agency’s managing director held a press conference in the federal capital, but the event turned chaotic when he was detained to assist in the investigation into the company’s failure to send over 300 Umrah pilgrims to the Holy Land.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the company began operations in 2022 and has been operating from a three-storey premises in Sepang since October last year. - Bernama
