Several cases of illegally sending citizens to Umrah have been detected in Uzbekistan

Several cases of illegal dispatch of citizens for Umrah detected in Uzbekistan

In a number of regions of the country, citizens and representatives of travel agencies were identified who offered to organize trips to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage without holding the appropriate license.

According to the SSS (State Security Service), several such episodes at once involved the amount of $2,200. In particular, in Kokand, the head of a travel agency demanded this amount to send two citizens for Umrah. In the Chartak district of the Namangan region, an employee of a travel agency also requested $2,200 for a trip for two people and was detained while receiving $400 as an advance payment. Another similar case was detected in the Dangara district of the Fergana region, where a travel agency manager received $2,200 for two residents of the Uchkuprik district. All three were detained during operational measures conducted by officers of the SSS and internal affairs bodies.

In the Tashkent district of the Tashkent region, a man who did not have the appropriate license gained the trust of a capital resident and promised to organize an Umrah trip for him through his acquaintances for $1,100. He was detained while receiving $1,000 and 1.2 million soums.

In the Payaryk district of the Samarkand region, the head of an air ticket office, having no right to organize Umrah trips, offered to send a local resident to Saudi Arabia for $1,150. He was also detained while receiving the specified amount.

Another case occurred in the Sirdaryo region. A resident of the Gulistan district offered to organize a trip for three citizens, allegedly through a travel agency in Tashkent that has the appropriate authority. For this, he demanded a total of $3,150. The man was detained while receiving 3.5 million soums as an advance payment.

Criminal cases have been initiated for all facts, and investigative actions are underway.

In Uzbekistan, only companies that have obtained the appropriate license have the right to organize Umrah trips. There are currently 14 such organizations listed in the official registry.