Travel company director banned after Trading Standards investigation

A director has been banned for two years after a trading standards investigation into a travel company that was misleading customers.

Birmingham City Council successfully prosecuted Holy Makkah Tours Limited – which also traded as MB Travels and Euro Bangla – following an investigation by Trading Standards officers, assisted by City of London Police, as part of a national project to tackle Hajj and Umrah fraud in 2014.

Holy Makkah Tours Limited did not hold an ATOL licence, which is a legal requirement for travel firms selling package holidays.

The company and its director Mohammed Suba Ibn Nozir pleaded guilty to seven offences each at Birmingham Crown Court.

They were ordered to pay £71,417, which included fines, costs and the recovery of money under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Nozir was also banned from being a company director for two years.

Cllr Barbara Dring, chair of the city council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: “This case highlights the need for people booking any holiday to be aware that internet-based travel firms have to adhere to the same codes of practice as those based on the High Street.

“Trading Standards is here to protect Hajj pilgrims from being ripped off by unscrupulous travel providers. We know it’s important to take action to protect pilgrims and to ensure there is a level playing field for all businesses.”