Tour operator accused of duping 34 pilgrims with fake Saudi visas

Ahmedabad: At least 34 pilgrims have allegedly been cheated by a tour operator from Juhapura in a visa fraud linked to a religious trip to Saudi Arabia. Airport police registered a complaint in the matter on Friday.According to the 26-year-old complainant from Morbi, he knew the accused since 2019 when they had met in Saudi Arabia. He stated that the accused had earlier arranged visas for a group travelling for religious purposes and had assured him that he could arrange visas for Saudi Arabia and other holy places.The complainant alleged that in Feb 2025, he contacted the accused to arrange visas for 34 family members planning to undertake a pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The accused allegedly promised to complete the visa process within 2-3 days and quoted charge of Rs 12,500 per person.Relying on the assurance, the complainant said he booked flight tickets for the group through travel agencies, spending Rs 10.25 lakh. He also sent passport copies of all travellers and later transferred Rs 4.15 lakh towards visa processing charges.However, the promised visas were not delivered on time. Instead, the accused allegedly kept giving excuses and asked the group to reach Ahmedabad airport on the scheduled departure date, assuring them that he would arrive with the visas.At the airport, the complainant alleged that only PDF copies of 12 visas were sent through WhatsApp. Upon verification by airport staff, the visas were found to be fake, following which the pilgrims could not travel as scheduled and returned home after waiting for several hours.The complaint further stated that visas were later arranged and fresh flight tickets booked, after which the group completed the pilgrimage.However, after their return, the accused allegedly demanded an additional Rs 1.5 lakh over the phone and threatened that they would not be allowed to leave the airport if the amount was not paid.Following the incident, the complainant approached Airport police, who have initiated an investigation.