Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Two people have been detained in the Samarkand and Syrdarya regions for allegedly offering citizens paid trips to Saudi Arabia to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.
Criminal cases have been opened in both incidents, and investigative proceedings are underway.
In the Payarik district of Samarkand region, the head of a ticket office who did not have the right to organize Umrah trips gained the trust of a local resident and demanded US$1,150 from him to arrange the pilgrimage.
During an operational measure, officers of the State Security Service and internal affairs authorities detained the man while he was receiving the requested amount, with material evidence seized.
A similar case was identified in the Syrdarya region. A resident of Gulistan district, born in 1988, demanded a total of US$3,150 from three citizens to organize a trip to Saudi Arabia.
According to him, the trip was supposed to be arranged through a travel company in Tashkent that allegedly had the necessary authorization.
The man was detained while receiving an advance payment of 3.5 million soums by officers of the State Security Service, the Department for Combating Economic Crimes and internal affairs authorities, with material evidence seized.
Criminal cases have been opened against the detainees in both incidents. Investigative proceedings are currently underway.
