SRINAGAR The Jammu & Kashmir Police, (Tourism enforcement wing) has busted a travel racket and arrested a fraudster who allegedly has duped scores of tourists so far. According to a police spokesman, a fake travel agency by the name of Al Shama Holidays at Munawarabad, Srinagar was publicising travel packages online and scores of gullible have fallen in its net so far.
Taking cognisance of complaints received from several tourists, three cases were registered at tourist police station Srinagar. During Investigation it surfaced that a fake Travel Agency by the name of Al Shama Holidays is being run by one Umar Shah @ Suraj Sharma @ Amir son of Ghulam Mohamad Shah resident of Kakawthal Baramulla presently at Mustafabad Zainakoot and his wife namely Shama Hameed D/O Hameed Sayed resident of Karwar Karnataka.
It surfaced during the investigation that the accused was not providing any service to the tourists and used to grab money which was deposited in his accounts. A police team led by SHO Tourist Police Station Inspector Suhail Rasool led the investigation and finally raided the agency office and arrested the main accused Umar Shah.
Some incriminating documents, stamps etc were seized from the office during the raid.
It is pertinent to mention that the accused has earlier also been involved in two criminal cases of cheating and forgery viz FIR nos 02/2013 and 01/2015 under sections 420,467,468 RPC 2/32,36(2) tourist trade act and the charge sheet of both these cases stand filed before the competent court.
Investigations have revealed that the accused has married one Shama Hameed D/O Hameed Sayed resident of Karwar Karnataka and the modus operandi of the duo was to lure the innocent tourist through fake websites, emails, WhatsApp and fake itineraries. The bank accounts which were found in the name of accused Shama Hameed maintained in Union Bank of India, State bank of India Karnatka and UCO bank were freezed and the websites www.ladakhtourism.com was also blocked during the investigation.
Tourist police has asked general public to stay vigilant and verify antecedents of service providers before booking their trips lest they fall in the trap of such fraudsters.
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