Gujarat CID busted a gang selling jungle safari permits in the 'black market' by creating an artificial shortage in National Parks across 6 states. Two accused were arrested, and permits and digital evidence were recovered.
Gandhinagar: The Gujarat CID (Crime) has exposed a gang that was bulk booking jungle safari permits in several states across the country and selling them in the black market. In this operation, two accused, Ajay Kumar Chaudhary and Arvind Upadhyay, have been arrested. The accused used fake identity cards to book online permits and then sold them to genuine tourists at inflated prices.
This syndicate's scheme was affecting six major National Parks and tiger reserves. Investigating officials stated that due to this gang, genuine tourists were deprived of permits, and their jungle safari experience was compromised.
6 Major National Parks Targeted
The investigation revealed that the accused were making bulk bookings in Gujarat's Gir Jungle Safari, Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park, Maharashtra's Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand's Jim Corbett National Park, Assam's Kaziranga, and Madhya Pradesh's Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
The use of fake identity cards was creating an artificial shortage in these national parks and tiger reserves. As a result, genuine tourists were deprived of permits, and their jungle safari experience was limited.
Defrauding Tourists through Fake Website
The investigation also revealed that the accused had created a fake website resembling the official one. Through this website, they defrauded tourists and sold them permits at exorbitant prices.
Permits were sold to travel agents through the fake website, who then presented them to tourists as 'confirmed bookings.' In this process, tourists were unknowingly forced to purchase expensive permits.
12,000 Permits Sold in Gir Jungle
According to investigators, the accused sold approximately 12,000 permits in Gir Jungle Safari alone. From the accused's computers, 8,600 emails confirming payments were recovered. This figure highlights the seriousness and scale of this syndicate.
The Gujarat CID team stated that the identification and arrest of the accused would help control the black market and ensure genuine permits for tourists.
