Dubai, UAE – In a disheartening turn of events, the Dubai Police have apprehended an Indian expatriate, Shabin Rasheed, who is accused of orchestrating a fraudulent Haj pilgrimage scheme, leaving 150 UAE nationals bereft of their hard-earned money. The victims had collectively paid an advance sum of 3 million dirhams for a pilgrimage that ultimately never materialized.
Shabin Rasheed, a 44-year-old operator of the Sharjah-based Baitul Ateeq travel agency, was taken into police custody earlier this month following numerous complaints from disgruntled clients who were neither provided with the promised pilgrimage nor received refunds for their payments. This unfortunate incident has left many individuals in a state of despair, as their dream of embarking on the sacred Haj pilgrimage has been shattered, and their finances have taken a hit.
Mohammad Saquib, a resident of Dubai and one of the affected individuals, expressed his disappointment, saying, “If missing out on Haj wasn’t bad enough, we also have our money stuck.” He had entrusted Rasheed’s agency with booking his pilgrimage package, only to be left in limbo without a refund.
Initially, Rasheed offered apologies, citing a last-minute change in visa issuance as the reason for the problems. He promised to initiate refunds promptly. However, these assurances later proved empty as Rasheed failed to follow through on his commitments.
Last month, Rasheed went a step further, asserting that he was selling his property in India to gather funds for refunds and was contemplating legal action against a Saudi company, seeking compensation for financial losses, defamation, and emotional distress incurred by his clients. Unfortunately, these promises also remained unfulfilled.
Frustrated and left without recourse, the affected residents turned to the Dubai Police, lodging formal complaints against the Baitul Ateeq travel agency.
The Dubai Police promptly acted on these complaints, leading to Shabin Rasheed’s arrest. Notifications regarding his apprehension were sent to the agency’s clients to keep them informed.
In response, a representative from Baitul Ateeq reached out to clients awaiting refunds via WhatsApp, confirming Rasheed’s arrest. The message conveyed deep regret over the situation and explained that refunds would remain pending until his release.
The message stated, “We regretfully inform you that Shabin is under custody due to a report made by some Haj members. Thus, we can’t respond to any progress related to refunding until his release. However, our partner in Saudi is still working on refunding from there. We are in dire need of your patience and support during this time.”
One affected resident, Saquib Imam, revealed that he had only received a fraction of his payment, with Dh5,000 returned out of the Dh20,000 he had paid approximately a year ago.
As of now, it remains unclear how many police complaints were filed against the Baitul Ateeq travel agency or how many clients have received partial refunds. Earlier, Rasheed had asserted that he had refunded 20 individuals, but failed to provide specific details such as names and contact numbers, despite repeated requests by the media.
