Birmingham travel agents targeted in Hajj fraud operation
A string of travel agents in the Birmingham area have been visited this morning (7 April 2016) after being identified as potentially selling unlicensed package tours to Mecca.
Officers from the City of London Police, Civil Aviation Authority and Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards team worked in partnership across the city as part of a national initiative to combat Hajj fraud.
Chris Neville, Head of Trading Standards, for Birmingham City Council, said: “Trading Standards is here to protect Hajj pilgrims from being ripped off by unscrupulous travel providers and to ensure Hajj tour operators continue to receive the advice they need to trade legally.
“Birmingham City Council has successfully prosecuted a number of businesses over the past few years, which indicates the scale of the problem facing Hajj pilgrims when deciding which travel operator to use.
“We want pilgrims to know that we take their concerns seriously, understand their problems and will continue to work with our partners, including the City of London Police and Civil Aviation Authority, to tackle this area of criminality for the protection of Birmingham’s citizens.”
To read the City of London Police media release in full, please visit their website.
