13 arrested as Mumbai Police busts fake travel agency offering cheap tickets
Mumbai Police has arrested 13 people, including a woman, for allegedly running a fake travel agency and cheating people by offering them tickets at much lower rates.
The Mumbai Police has arrested as many as 13 people, including a woman, for allegedly cheating prospective travellers by luring them into cheap fares and tickets.
The gang, who allegedly targeted NRIs and Indians, promised cheaper tickets but, after accepting the amount, would cut communication off. The crime branch officials busted a fake call centre in a commercial complex in Marol in Andheri East.
One of the accused, identified as Mridul Joshi, former chairman of the Alwar Urban Cooperative Bank, was arrested even earlier by the Rajasthan Special Operation Group, allegedly for embezzling over Rs 16 crore.
Meanwhile, Mridul Joshi’s brother Abhishek, the “mastermind” behind the call center scam, is still at large.
The gang advertised cheap tickets -- by sharing links or a contact number -- on social media platforms like Instagram, Telegram, Facebook and even WhatsApp.
Speaking on the action taken by the police, DCP Raj Tilak Roshan said: "Their online advertisement targeted mostly people from Canada, wanting to come to India or vice-versa. Many got tempted by the low rates and paid the amount, after which the accused blocked their contacts. During the raid, our team found evidence of cheating."
The cop said the fake call centre had been operating for the past four months.
“They booked tickets for three-four persons daily and even kept changing bank accounts. The attractive price difference they offered was 15-20 per cent less than other genuine sites or agents."
The police have booked the accused for impersonation, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and common intention under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections of the Information Technology Act.
The accused have been sent to police custody until August 14.
