Fatima Muhammad

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH —  Some 500 people who fell in the trap of a fake Haj campaign run by an Indian man in Jeddah have been assured by authorities that the man who cheated them is still in the Kingdom and cannot flee the country.

Representatives of the group visited Saudi Gazette in search of help to find a solution to their case.“Is the man still in the Kingdom? Is there any chance we get our money back?” asked Mohammed Shariff, one of the victims.

“We are expatriates and are not aware of the legal procedures here.”The victims demanded the man who cheated them be arrested and their money returned to them.



 



The victims of this scheme are all expatriates and the majority of them receive salaries that do not exceed SR1,000.The group was informed in mid-September that they will have tents in Mina and receive free food and transportation.

However, after collecting over SR1.5 million, the man disappeared and switched his mobile off.

A Saudi Gazette reporter accompanied the victims to the north Jeddah police station, where they were informed that there are no developments in their case yet.However, the victims were assured that the man cannot leave Saudi Arabia because he has a documented case.

The police officer added that they have contacted the Indian Embassy to inform them about the man.The police officer stated that the man is hiding somewhere between Makkah and Jeddah but he cannot do so for long.

He added that the police would contact them as soon as there were any development in their case.Sources informed Saudi Gazette that the man was previously arrested on Sept. 17 and detained for three days.

After his release, he collected money through a fake local Haj campaign and disappeared.The group filed a report of cheating and fraud against the man and his firm at Al-Aziziyah police station on Oct. 9. ?