Rabat- Casablanca’s judiciary police have arrested seven individuals suspected of fraud, including three brothers selling forged Hajj visas to pilgrims.
According to the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), the suspects were involved with a criminal ring specializing in fraud and manipulation. They were arrested on August 17 and 18 in Casablanca; Inezgane, near Agadir; and Oualidia village, south of Casablanca near El Jadida.
The ring is allegedly engaged in criminal activities: hacking into systems and accessing personal data, such as bank accounts from European countries, to transfer money.
In the homes of the suspects, the police found technological equipment and items such as victims’ bank receipts and SIM cards the group used to carry out fraudulent phone calls.
The three brothers, Zakaria, Abdelkarim, and Yassir Asenghour, have allegedly distributed fake moujamala (Hajj visas) and fake plane tickets for pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia.
Abdelkarim allegedly produced a total of 200 falsified visas for the fake passports provided to him by another accomplice, Mohamed Ouchen. The visa forger and passport forger allegedly received MAD 1.3 million and 1.4 million in exchange for their forgeries.
The DGSN reports that on the eve of Ramadan, Abdelkarim sold plane tickets to Ouchen for umrah (the pilgrimage to Mecca performed at any time of the year). However since some of the tickets were cancelled, Abdelkarim promised to compensate Ouchen for the loss by making fake moujamala visas.
The suspects were all placed in custody under the supervision of the public prosecutor for further investigation.
