Noida: Three directors of a fake tour company were arrested for allegedly cheating more than 100 people of nearly Rs 5 crore by selling luxury holiday packages they never intended to fully deliver.The accused allegedly dangled heavily discounted trips, five-star stays, flight tickets and “free” benefits for destinations ranging from Dubai to Singapore and Europe. They then used forged govt papers and fake tourism ministry credentials to make the offers look genuine.Police from Sector 24 station arrested the three from a mall in Sector 32. Additional DCP Manisha Singh identified them as Imran Khan, Abhay Kumar and Shailendra Singh, 38. The other two are around 35.According to police, the trio ran a company called Rangers Club and posed as representatives of a reputed travel firm. They allegedly reached potential customers through social media advertisements, phone calls and promotional camps at malls and hotels. Once a person showed interest, they were called to the office and given polished presentations, fake agreements and forged documents purportedly showing recognition by the ministry of tourism.Police said the accused then pushed customers to pay immediately, claiming the offers were available only for a short time. After taking the money, the company allegedly either failed to arrange the trips or delivered only part of what had been promised. Several customers, police said, never received confirmed hotel bookings or flight tickets despite paying in full. When they tried to follow up, calls allegedly went unanswered.During the arrests, police recovered three fake tourism ministry identity cards, 180 fake visiting cards, 14 forged seals, 15 fake MoU documents, three mobile phones, a Hyundai Creta and Rs 7,100 in cash.Police said the three admitted during questioning that they deceived customers for financial gain. Their bank accounts, transaction records and documents are now being examined to trace the money trail and identify others linked to the racket.Imran is from Saurabh Vihar in Delhi. Abhay is originally from Shravasti and was living in rented accommodation in Sector 48. Shailendra, from Ballia, was staying in a housing society in Sector 75.An FIR was registered under charges related to cheating, forgery, using forged documents as genuine, criminal conspiracy and impersonation.“We urge people to verify a travel company’s registration, GST details and claims of govt recognition before making any payment. They must be alert about holiday deals that appear unusually cheap,” an official said.
