Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — An operation carried out in cooperation between the Tashkent City Department of the State Security Service and the Department for Combating Economic Crimes under the Prosecutor General’s Office has uncovered cases of illegally organized pilgrimages.

In the Tashkent district of Tashkent region, a previously convicted citizen born in 1968 was detained. Without proper authorization to organize Hajj trips, he gained the trust of a local resident and promised to send the latter’s parents on the pilgrimage this year for US$8,000. He was caught at the moment of receiving a US$2,000 advance payment.

A similar offense was recorded in Fergana region. During an operation in the Yaz’yavan district, authorities stopped the illegal activities of a travel agency head born in 1987 and residing in the Shakhrihan district of Andijan region. He had accepted US$4,200 to send four citizens to Umrah.

In Syrdarya region’s Akaltyn district, a citizen born in 1974 who falsely claimed to be a representative of a travel company was detained. He demanded a total of US$3,450 to arrange Umrah trips for three individuals. He was caught while receiving an advance of US$1,100 and 1,290,000 soums.

In the city of Karshi, Kashkadarya region, the head of a private airline ticket office promised to arrange an Umrah trip for a local resident’s relative for US$1,200. At his instruction, an employee of the ticket office was apprehended with physical evidence while receiving an advance of 10 million soums.

Criminal cases have been opened against these individuals under Article 168 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and investigations are currently underway.