Regional Police investigators from the Fraud Bureau have charged a woman from Mississauga in relation to an immigration fraud targeting victims, particularly from Afghanistan.
In July 2017, a person contacted police to report that they paid large sums of money to the Afghan Refugee Relief (ARR) organization to assist in sponsoring family members wishing to immigrate to Canada from Afghanistan.
Sakia Mojadiddi, the head of the ARR, accepted money but never processed the paperwork through the Canada Border Services Agency and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. After a significant delay and once the victims learned that their paperwork was never processed, Mojadiddi refused to reimburse the funds paid for the service.
On October 20, 2017, investigators sought the public’s assistance in identifying further victims in relation to ARR organization and as a result 38 people have contacted police in relation to this investigation.
Victims consisted of individuals from the Middle East, Europe, North America, with eight victims in the Region of Peel. Investigators estimate that the total amount defrauded from the victims to this point is approximately $780,000.
As a result of an extensive investigation, on Thursday, February 8, investigators from the Fraud Bureau executed three search warrants at three separate residences, two in the Region of Peel, and one in the City of Bradford.
The following individuals have been arrested and charged with fraud related charges:
- Sakia Mojadiddi, a 61-year-old female from Mississauga
- Morassa Rizvi, a 32-year-old female from Brampton
- Dunya Mojadiddi, a 26-year-old female from Mississauga
- Mariam Qureshi, a 36-year-old female from Bradford.
They were all released on a promise to appear and undertaking and will have their first appearance at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton on Monday, March 12.
Read the original story over at Voice Online.
