In Uzbekistan, schemes for organizing illegal Umrah trips have once again been thwarted

In Uzbekistan, schemes for organizing illegal Umrah trips have been foiled again

In Andijan and Fergana regions, new instances of organizing illegal trips to Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah have been uncovered. According to the State Security Service of Uzbekistan, several thousand dollars were demanded from citizens for assistance in organizing the pilgrimage.

Thus, in Andijan, an employee of a travel agency that lacked a license to organize Umrah trips came to the attention of law enforcement officers. He offered a resident of Balikchi district to send four of his relatives to Saudi Arabia and requested $4.4 thousand for it. The man was caught red-handed while receiving the money during a joint operation by SSS employees and internal affairs bodies.

Another case was uncovered in Fergana region. A resident of Tashlak district promised two citizens from Fergana to organize a pilgrimage through a travel agency operating in Namangan region. He demanded $2.1 thousand for the service; however, he was detained upon receiving an advance payment of one thousand dollars.

Criminal cases have been initiated against the suspects, and an investigation is underway.

As a reminder, organizing Umrah trips in Uzbekistan requires a special license. This is stipulated by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 668 of October 12, 2024. The rules are designed to protect the rights of pilgrims and ensure their safety, but citizens continue to encounter fraudsters who take advantage of their desire to perform the pilgrimage.

Earlier, similar cases were uncovered in Tashkent and Fergana regions. The organizers offered to send citizens to Umrah without having the appropriate licenses and permits.