The CID Crime, under the Cyber Centre of Excellence, has arrested three individuals for their role in an online booking fraud involving the Gir Jungle and Devaliya safaris. The accused, who operated travel agencies, were found to be blocking safari tickets as soon as bookings opened, selling them later at inflated prices.
One of the accused is a resident of Thaltej who runs a travel agency in Ahmedabad, while the other two are from Sasan Gir and operate an agency in Junagadh.
Rajdeepsinh Jhala, Superintendent of Police at the Cyber Centre of Excellence, CID Crime, said that multiple teams were deployed to investigate the cyber crime case. “The accused used fake identities and electronic tools to manipulate the Gujarat government’s official website for booking slots for Gir Jungle Safari and Devaliya Safari,” he said.
During the investigation, data from the website developers for 2024 revealed that over 83,000 permits had been booked through the platform. Out of these, the accused had made more than 12,800 unauthorised bookings by using duplicate website names and fake credentials. They allegedly sold these permits at higher prices, especially during peak tourist seasons, holidays, and festivals.
CID Crime team uncovered nine fraudulent websites and several fake email IDs linked to the scam. The accused also targeted bookings for other popular tourist destinations, including the Statue of Unity, Tent City, and several other capped-entry locations.
According to officials, the group operated a call centre to coordinate the fake bookings under different names. By blocking genuine tickets, they created an artificial shortage and then offered the permits to tourists at exorbitant prices. A formal case has been registered against them.
Sources revealed that the official tourism website offers a waitlist system for genuine visitors. The accused allegedly misused this feature by placing their clients on the waitlist and later cancelling other confirmed permits to ensure their customers secured entry.
The CID Crime team has intensified efforts to trace other individuals and networks potentially linked to the cyber crime, which has raised concerns about the misuse of technology in online tourism services.
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