Youths duped by promise of jobs in Mecca for Hajj

Mumbra resident dupes youths with fake job promises in Mecca and Madina during Hajj season, flees with lakhs. Police probe ongoing.

Thane: The police are on the lookout for a Mumbra resident who has duped several unemployed youths of lakhs of rupees by promising them jobs in Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia during the Hajj season. The accused is currently untraceable, and the police have initiated a probe.

The victims filed a complaint against the frauds at the Mumbra Police station on Sunday. (praful gangurde/ht photo)

A complaint has been filed by Salman Yusuf Khan at the Mumbra police station to recover the money defrauded from the young people. The police are investigating the exact cheating amount and number of complainants against the fraud before registering an FIR in the case.

“The man resides in Mumbra, and his associates are from Bangalore and Dubai,” said Khan. “They organised a meeting in Mumbra where we were assured jobs in Mecca and Madina for four months before and after Ramzan to assist with the Hajj pilgrimage and service. We were promised approximately 2200 Riyals ( ₹48,980) per month. I agreed because I have a family to support, and as Muslims, we saw this as an opportunity to serve in a sacred place.”

The complainant told the police that they paid ₹11,000 for registration and later ₹35,000 for visas. However, he stopped taking their calls and started ignoring them. There is a significant demand for service providers to support pilgrims travelling to Mecca for Hajj. These service providers earn substantial amounts due to the large-scale operation, employing unemployed youth from impoverished backgrounds who go to Mecca during specific periods.

Former opposition leader of Thane Municipal Corporation from NCP, Shanu Pathan from Mumbra, has received complaints from 968 people who have fallen for this fraud. “In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Muslim relatives of Hajj pilgrims come from all over the world. The Saudi government requires a considerable workforce to provide civic services, prompting agencies to supply manpower. An agency from Bengaluru sends service providers to Saudi Arabia in this manner. For this, they charge around ₹65,000 as commission from each unemployed youth,” Pathan said.

Shaanu Pathan gathered 300 affected youths and approached the Mumbra Police Station. He urged authorities to file complaints against the perpetrators. Pathan said, “Currently, this scam is gaining attention as a significant incident, involving the exploitation of unemployed youths across the country. Those affected by this scam are encouraged to contact the police and cooperate in the investigation.”

Meanwhile, the Mumbra police said, “We have begun investigating the matter and will proceed with filing charges and registration of the case once we get all the complainant’s details. The process is going on.”