Cops nab owners of travel agency who failed to fly out umrah group

PETALING JAYA: Police have arrested a couple who owned a travel agency in connection with accusations that they failed to fly out a group of umrah pilgrims yesterday.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the Selangor police headquarters’ commercial crime investigation department also seized several computers, passports and related documents when making the arrests in Kuala Lumpur at 7pm today.

He said the couple, both 31, were arrested after his department received a police report in Sepang at 10.39pm yesterday on a case of umrah fraud involving the agency.

“The complainant is a 39-year-old woman who reported losses amounting to RM11,000,” Bernama quoted Hussein as saying.

He said police had opened an investigation paper under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Hussein said further checks found 379 victims had dealt with the company and were also stranded on the same date, involving estimated total losses of RM2.1 million.

He said the agency started two years ago, and moved to a three-storey building in Sepang last October.

“The suspects’ modus operandi was to enlist prospective pilgrims through advertisements on the company’s TikTok account,” he said.

Earlier, the tourism, arts and culture ministry said it was investigating a licensed tourism agency that allegedly failed to fly out umrah pilgrims yesterday.