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Pilgrims lose £150,000 in Mecca fiddle
19/12/2003
A CROOKED businessman has been jailed for three years after
helping himself to around £150,000 saved by Muslims for pilgrimages
to Mecca.
Convicted conman Mohammed Adris, 31 - now bankrupt for the second
time - cheated more than 200 people.
Some had parted with all their savings for the once-in-a-lifetime
trip, but Burnley Crown Court heard they may never see any of their
cash again, as the £53,000 recovered had to go to a bankruptcy
trustee.
The father-of-five, of Blackburn Road, Accrington, had been found
with what police mistook for an automatic firearm when he was
arrested. It turned out to be a ball- bearing pistol that Adris
said he used to shoot rats.
One victim, who had acted as a "middle man" and handed over almost
£61,000 to the defendant on behalf of 64 pilgrims, said he was now
more than £20,000 out of pocket.
Hafiz Lal Hussain, who also lost out on the trip, said he was
hopeful of getting some money back. But he added nothing could make
up for the upset the defendant had caused.
Adris, who had previously served time for deception, appeared
before the court almost six months after he should have faced
sentence. The defendant, who had turned up at court in May but went
on the run after seeing the press outside, had earlier admitted two
counts of theft, possessing a firearm and failing to
surrender.
Sentencing, Judge Ray-mond Bennett said Adris was the "last person
in the world" who should be handling other people's money.
He said Adris had known the money given to him was for a holy
purpose and many of those affected could probably ill afford to
lose it.
Neil Fryman, prosecuting, said the pilgrims had been due to fly out
on 10 February last year and return on 9 March. Mr Hussain had been
organising the trip for 64 people who were paying about £1,200
each. He was working in conjunction with Mohammed Khan, who was
arranging for about 110 people to go to Mecca.
Police were called in and more than £47,000 was seized from the
defendant. When he was arrested days ago, another £4,781 was taken
from him.
Keith Harrison, defending, said Adris had set up his business as a
legitimate venture in March 2001 and did not set out to defraud the
victims.
But when his other business ventures ran into problems he took the
money to try and keep himself afloat.
Adris had lost a great deal by his offending. He had lost all hope
of resurrecting any of his businesses and had wrecked his marriage.
Mr Harrison added: "He feels his life is in danger in prison and
that when he is released that situation will still prevail."
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