Travel agents targeted in Hajj fraud investigation

A SERIES of travel agents in Birmingham have been targeted by police and trading standards officers investigating the sale of unlicensed package tours to Mecca.

Officers from Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards have been working with the City of London Police and the Civil Aviation Authority as part of the investigation.

The city-wide move is part of a larger national initiative to combat Hajj fraud.

Chris Neville, Head of Trading Standards, for Birmingham City Council, said: “Trading Standards is here to protect Hajj pilgrims from being ripped off by unscrupulous travel providers and to ensure Hajj tour operators continue to receive the advice they need to trade legally.

“Birmingham City Council has successfully prosecuted a number of businesses over the past few years, which indicates the scale of the problem facing Hajj pilgrims when deciding which travel operator to use.

“We want pilgrims to know that we take their concerns seriously, understand their problems and will continue to work with our partners, including the City of London Police and Civil Aviation Authority, to tackle this area of criminality for the protection of Birmingham’s citizens.”