Authorities are tightening their grip on a group of high-profile travelers suspected of using luxury Umrah trips to funnel large sums of money out of the country through unofficial channels.

Trustworthy sources informed Sport BangjoAr that Morocco’s currency exchange office has identified "VIP pilgrims" for examination following the discovery of significant financial irregularities.

Reports from the office’s research and statistics division indicated that several individuals significantly surpassed the authorized travel budget of MAD 100,000. Some expenditures reached over $200,000—or approximately 200 million Moroccan centimes—which raised significant concerns.

The probe is currently centered around affluent entrepreneurs, importers, and property developers, with many of them operating out of Casablanca.

Over the last four years, these people have repeatedly undertaken Umrah journeys, transforming spiritual pilgrimages into ostentatious showcases of affluence, featuring opulent accommodations, premium transportation, and upscale retail extravaganzas.

Reports indicate that officials believe an orchestrated money-smuggling scheme was concealed under the guise of Umrah trips.

Travel agencies are facing increased examination, as certain officials reportedly helped arrange deals enabling tourists to obtain substantial amounts of foreign currency.

These transactions allegedly include ties with Moroccans as well as foreign entities based in Saudi Arabia. These parties assist in converting domestic currency into American dollars, receiving significant commissions in return.

Additional doubts emerged during this year's Ramadan Umrah season when financial surveillance bodies identified anomalies in expenditure trends.

Certain travelers were granted the maximum permitted travel allotment of MAD 100,000, along with an extra 30% of their prior year’s post-tax earnings, but this supplementary amount was limited to a cap of MAD 300,000.

Nevertheless, investigators discovered that some individuals had vastly surpassed these boundaries—significantly exceeding both their stated financial positions and tax documents.

The tax authority’s data has since confirmed discrepancies in their financial declarations, with some facing outstanding tax issues and pending payment orders.

In recent years, Morocco's exchange office has boosted travel allowances, elevating the yearly limit from MAD 45,000 to MAD 100,000 for purposes of tourism and religious journeys. Furthermore, extra provisions have been made available for individuals traveling on business grounds.

Investigators have found out that certain "VIP pilgrims" use these repeated visits as a way to evade debt collectors, coming back only once they've secured new financing from overseas to continue their operations.

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