A rogue travel agent who stole thousands of pounds out of unsuspecting holidaymakers with non-existent flights has been jailed for a year.

Anas Ahmed, director of AirBridge Travel Limited (ABT) was brought to justice by Brent Trading Standards in a detailed investigation that involved assessed and analysed reports from us.

Mr Ahmed pleaded guilty at Harrow Crown Court on May 2 and was sentenced to 12 months in prison for defrauding multiple victims out of £42,000.

The court heard that more than 30 would be holiday goers were led to believe they had booked flights through ABT, only to find out these flights had not even been booked.

A witness, from Huddersfield, spoke of his “complete disappointment” after paying £1,000 to fly to Pakistan for his sister’s wedding, only to find out through the airline itself that his tickets had not been booked at all. Not only did he lose the money paid to ABT, but he had to pay out more money for a replacement flight, so that he didn’t miss the wedding.

Customers were told to transfer money directly into their bank account, as ABT would not accept payment through its website. Yet once payment had been received, many customers reported feeling ignored when trying to follow up on the booking.

Comment

It is best to pay for air tickets by credit card or PayPal, and avoid using bank transfers. Check carefully the details of the vender to ensure it is a legitimate business. Remember if the price seems too good to be true then it probably is!