Police arrest man in Haj scam involving elderly pilgrims forced to trek perilous routes and locked up in Saudi Arabia
SEREMBAN, June 16 — A 67-year-old man has been remanded for four days to assist in the probe into a Haj package scam involving elderly pilgrims who claimed they were confined and forced to walk through dangerous routes in Saudi Arabia.
Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yusoff said the suspect was nabbed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday following several reports lodged against him here, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the victims from Mantin, aged between 30 and 60, suffered losses amounting to RM81,000.
'The victims comprised a husband and wife and their daughter. We suspect more victims may have been affected by this fraudulent scheme.
'We are still investigating to determine whether the scam was operated by an individual or through an agency,' he told reporters at the Seremban City Council Hall today.
Ahmad Dzaffir also called on other victims of Haj scams to lodge police reports to aid the investigation.
Yesterday, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department acting director Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali said three police reports have been received from the victims' next of kin, namely two in Mantin and one in Ayer Hitam, Johor.
Media reports earlier stated that 47 Malaysian pilgrims had allegedly fallen victim to a Haj scam by a local agent involving a well-known religious figure.
According to one of the victim's daughters, her parents and aunt, who travelled to Saudi Arabia on May 9, were forced to trek through dangerous routes from Jeddah to Makkah without proper documents, food, or water, allegedly to avoid detection by Saudi authorities.
The group also claimed they were locked in a dark, cramped room and told to pay an additional RM9,000 to retrieve their belongings, despite already having paid RM30,000 for the Haj package. — Bernama
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