RAK travel agents accused of cheating 200 people

Over 200 citizens and residents of of Ras Al Khaimah have complained of being conned by two travel agencies in which they have lost a total of Dh300,000.

According to Aranic daily Emarat Al Youm, 20 people alleged that they were cheated by an employee in a travel agency only referred to in the official complaint as RG, while another 180 passengers filed a complaint against a another employee of another agency, referred to as M. Both the accused are of Arab nationality.

The Department of Economic Development has given the two agencies three days to solve the problem and return the money.

The victims have filed complaints with the police, the public prosecutor and the Economic Development Department, stating tickets booked through the agency were found to have been cancelled when the bearers went to travel on them.

An affected Egyptian teacher in Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone identified as Yahia Zakariya says he had bought a ticket to travel to Egypt from one of the travel agencies.

“I paid Dh1,500 for a ticket from Nozaha Airport in Alexandria to Dubai, but was surprised when the Nozaha airport staff told me that I would not be allowed to board the plane due to the cancellation of the reservation by the travel agency in Ras Al Khaimah,” he said.

He was forced to buy a new return ticket.

Another affected person identified as Abu Mustafa said he lost almost Dh5,000 after four tickets for his family were declared cancelled in Egypt.

Meanwhile Abdul Nasser Al Shehi, head of the Public Prosecution in Ras Al Khaimah, said, “Two accused have been arrested and charged with fraud and misappropriation of funds.”

Director of the Department of Control and Consumer Protection in the Department of Economic Development in Ras Al Khaimah, Ahmed Ali Al Balushi, said, “The two travel agencies were closed and the case reffered to the police and public prosecution for take necessary legal action against them.”

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