Two men have been arrested over an alleged £100,000 Hajj fraud which police say targeted around a dozen people, many of them elderly Muslims living in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police said the men, aged 22 and 23, were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation and money laundering after officers executed search warrants at three addresses across Birmingham on Tuesday.
Police believe around a dozen people were affected by the alleged fraud, with many of the victims described as elderly residents from the Birmingham area.
The victims were allegedly told that money they paid would be used to arrange visas, travel and accommodation for their pilgrimage to Makkah. However, police said none of the promised arrangements were made.
The victims are believed to have lost approximately £100,000 between them.
The investigation is being led by West Midlands Police’s Economic Crime Unit in conjunction with Birmingham City Council Trading Standards.
The arrests come after Trading Standards warned Muslims earlier this year about the risk of fraudulent Hajj packages and rogue travel agents.
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British Muslims are being advised to be particularly wary of suspiciously cheap packages, fake visas and travel documents, and agents claiming to have access to Hajj places outside official channels.
Hajj packages for British pilgrims should be booked through the official Nusuk Hajj platform.
Police guidance on Hajj fraud says victims can lose thousands of pounds after paying for flights, accommodation and visas that either do not exist or never materialise.
Authorities have previously warned that victims can be reluctant to report Hajj fraud because of embarrassment, meaning the true scale of the problem may be significantly greater than reported figures.
The two Birmingham men had not been charged at the time of the latest police statement, and the investigation remains ongoing.
