– probe ongoing though suspect has fled
Police did not seize the travel document of the ‘tour operator’ who harvested millions from 42 persons for a Canada trip because the man had told them that the visa applications were legitimate and there was no evidence at the time to prove otherwise, a senior police source said.
Stabroek News learnt from the source on Tuesday afternoon that several members of the group, which was reportedly scammed of approximately $7 million, had reported the matter to police. The matter, according to the source, was being investigated when the man left the country. Police, the source explained, could not have taken the man’s travel document until investigations were conducted to prove otherwise.
Police have since contacted the Canadian High Commission and are awaiting a written response in relation to the issue, the source said. The information from the Canadian High Commission will then be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecu-tions (DPP) who will give advice on what should be done next.
Asked why a wanted bulletin was not issued for the bogus tour operator the police source informed that this would be done depending on the advice received from the DPP.
The persons who lost millions after they signed up for a bogus Canada tour last November said they had informed police the man was a flight risk but his passport was never taken as a precaution. One of the complainants had told Stabroek News that they’d informed police the tour operator was a flight risk but were not taken seriously.
A letter dated October 30, 2008 was received by most of a 42-member group informing them of a trip to Canada which would be sponsored by the Canadian Heritage Trust in association with the Centennial College. Other group members learnt of the tour via telephone. The letter, from W.D.A.Y.L Tours located at Lot 4 Old Road, De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara, said that a US$150 registration fee would be required by November 28, 2008 and those registering would need a Canada visa which would “be taken care of by the sponsor (conditions apply)”. However, the hopeful Canada visitors lost about $7 million and were left with fake visa rejection stamps in their passports.
Guyanese from middle class neighbourhoods throughout the country were the victims of the scam and all had contact with the tour operator in the past or had known someone who used the services of W.D.A.Y.L Tours. This newspaper had viewed a copy of the letter sent to most members of the group.
A landline number and cellular phone number were provided beneath the company’s letter head. When Stabroek News attempted to contact the tour operator or a representative of W.D.AY.L via the landline number, a pre-recorded message from the phone company informed that the number had been temporarily disconnected.
A woman answered when this newspaper called the cellular phone number provided but she explained that we had dialed the wrong number and that said that the tour operator’s mobile number had only one digit different from her own.
The tour operator, who the woman knew by name, contacted her several months ago to inform her that people would calling her mobile phone to enquire about him. The man, according to her, told her that his number had only one digit different from her number and if anyone called for him she should inform them of this.
“I am from Skeldon,” the woman said, “and don’t know this man personally. This man call me one day out of the blues and told me that one digit in my number was different from his own and that he’d made a mistake when printing his letterheads and that if anyone call my number and ask for him I must give them the correct number.”
Efforts made by this newspaper to determine whether the tour company is a registered business were futile. The police source could not confirm this.