The Islamic Ministry has decided to suspend the license and impose fines on Askoi Hajj and Umrah Tours in a case where they collected large sums of money from people for Umrah but failed to facilitate the pilgrimage.
Askoi had collected MVR 25,500 per person from 28 individuals from Sh. Foakaidhoo, all of whom were scheduled to depart for Umrah on the 24th of this month. Despite completing payments in February, the group was informed by Askoi shortly before departure that the trip would not take place.
In a statement released today, the Islamic Ministry said that Askoi Group had also taken possession of the group members’ passports and other travel documents. Later, the company claimed the trip was postponed due to safety concerns in Saudi Arabia and rising tensions in the Gulf region, adding they would resume travel when conditions improved.
However, the Ministry noted that those who had paid for the trip were unable to contact the company’s management to retrieve their documents. Furthermore, Askoi failed to respond to official inquiries from the Ministry.
As a result, the Ministry announced it would revoke Askoi’s Umrah travel permit, impose penalties, and prohibit any company with the same shareholders from receiving future Umrah permits. Additionally, a police case has been filed to recover payments made by affected individuals.
In May, the company was previously fined MVR 130,000 for collecting MVR 252,000 from a family of six for Umrah but failing to deliver the service.
Askoi Travel Service received its official Umrah permit in 2023, though it had been organizing group Umrah trips for approximately a decade before that.