A recent Holy Land tour conducted by a travel agency from here last week has brought to light a racket involved in illegal migration to Israel. As many as seven persons of a 38-member group from Kerala that went into Israel under the supervision of Green Oasis Tours and Travels on a West Asia tour disappeared from Jerusalem on Friday.
Their escape from the tour group is suspected to be part of an illegal immigration process involving some agencies.
Green Oasis Tours and Travels officials said that the remaining 31 members of the group were detained in Jerusalem by the Israeli tour agent for a ransom. They said an understanding was reached with the Israeli tour agent after several rounds of negotiations. Accordingly, the 31 members of the tour group will be released by Monday morning on payment of $20,000.
Green Oasis Tours and Travels chief operating officer Irfan Noufal said that the group would leave Israel and enter Egypt on Monday. However, he said the onus was on them to trace the seven missing members of the tour group.
The tour operators said here that they strongly suspected the involvement of an illegal immigration racket behind the missing incident. Four persons had gone missing in a similar fashion during another tour a few months ago. However, no complaint was registered then.
This time, Mr. Noufal complained to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and State Police Chief Sheikh Darvesh Saheb about the seven missing tour members. Mr. Noufal said that their suspicion strengthened as they were from a particular group from Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam.
Those who disappeared at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, during the Juma prayers on Friday were Naseer Abdul Rabb (passport number P0423152), Shajahan Abdul Shukoor (78958076), Hakeem Abdul Rabb (X9587172), and Shajahan Kithar Mohammed (70573977) from Thiruvananthapuram, Begum Fantasia (M1581066), Navas Sulaiman Kunhu (U5100212), and wife Binsi Badaruddin (X7200198) from Kollam.
State government officials said that the complaint had been forwarded to the NORKA department for investigation and action. However, Mr. Noufal said that there was no help from the State or any government officials.
The Holy Land tour group that left Calicut International Airport for Jordan on July 25 had 47 members in it. However, only 38 people could enter Israel from Jordan on Thursday as Israel denied visa for nine members. Tour operators said that Israel was strict about issuing tourist visa especially for people below 40 years of age because of a recent increase in illegal immigration.
