Cops detain five locals in probe into haj scam involving RM683,500 losses

KUALA LUMPUR – Police have detained five locals, including two women, to assist in the investigation into an alleged haj package and visa scam. 

Wangsa Maju district police chief Ashari Abu Samah in a statement tonight said the suspects, aged between 28 and 50, were arrested after 18 reports were lodged in connection with the case involving a loss of RM683,500.

According to him, the latest report on the alleged scam was received by the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Wangsa Maju Police Headquarters on Thursday and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

Ashari said initial investigations revealed that the complainant claimed to have dealt with an individual from a travel agency in Taman Danau Kota, Setapak and had paid RM35,000 into the bank account belonging to the travel agency. However, the agency kept postponing the flight date to Mecca from the original date set.

“On July 7, the victims went to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and found that no flight ticket bookings to Mecca had been made in their names,” Ashari said, adding that the agency also did not inform the victims about their flight. 

“No representative came forward to give an explanation regarding the problem faced by the victims,” he said.

On Thursday, about 380 prospective pilgrims were reported to have been stranded at KLIA, believed to be victims of a scam by a travel agency.

They were believed to have used the Furada visas, which are private haj visas without involving the Lembaga Tabung Haji quota. – Bernama, July 9, 2022