In Namangan, a man was arrested for demanding $10,000 for facilitating a pilgrimage to Mecca for a mother and her son.

During operational activities carried out by law enforcement agencies, violations related to sending individuals for Hajj and Umrah were detected .

A 59-year-old individual, O.S., residing in the city of Namangan, was caught red-handed while receiving 10 thousand US dollars for sending a local resident and his mother to Saudi Arabia through a travel agency for pilgrimage.

In another instance, in the city of Gulistan, the founder of a travel agency, G.A., without possessing the necessary license, demanded 6 thousand dollars for sending a resident of the Syrdarya region and his four relatives for Umrah. He managed to receive an advance payment of 400 dollars and 1.3 million sums before being apprehended.

Similar illegal activities were recorded in the Surkhandarya region. In the Sariasi district, an employee of a travel agency, D.R., without having such authority, received 1100 dollars and 200 thousand sums for sending a local resident for Umrah and was detained.

In the city of Denau, the head of a travel agency, Sh.K., promised to send a 50-year-old local resident for Umrah for 1000 dollars and 1 million 280 thousand sums. In the same area, a 35-year-old individual, H.N., claimed to have a discounted package for Umrah through his company and received 1200 dollars and 650 thousand sums, after which he was also detained.

Currently, criminal cases have been initiated against all the mentioned individuals under Article 168 of the Criminal Code (Fraud), and an investigation is underway.

Earlier, it was reported about measures taken against companies that sent people for Umrah without a license. One company was fined 200 BRV, while materials related to two others were forwarded to law enforcement agencies for appropriate action.