24 Christians detained in Israel after duped by travel agent

A group of Christians from Kerala have fallen victim to a pilgrimage scam that had promised them jobs in Israel.

About 24 Indians, part of a 50-member Christian group from Trivandrum, were arrested by immigration officials in Israel after they failed to show a valid work permit.

The victims had entered Israel from Bethlehem, where they had come from Jordan, on tourist visas arranged through a travel agency.

"During interrogation most of them said that they paid two lakh rupees to the Indian agent who promised them a high paid job in Israel," PTI quoted an official as saying.

"The members of the group did have valid visa for a week for tourism purposes, but no work permit," spokesperson of the Interior Ministry, Sabin Hadad, confirmed to the news agency.

After their arrests, the Israeli police imprisoned them as illegal immigrants and deported eight of them from Tel Aviv to Mumbai earlier this month.

The others who are languishing in Israeli prisons have sought for refugee status which will allow them to stay for some more time.

Several members of the group are also said to be hiding in Israel as illegal immigrants.

Sources at the Indian mission in Tel Aviv, according to PTI, have already visited the detainees and are closing following the case.