Departure of 51 Suspected Illegal Hajj Pilgrims Thwarted at Soekarno-Hatta Airport
TANGERANG, KOMPAS.com - Efforts by dozens of Indonesian citizens (WNI) to perform Hajj pilgrimage through non-procedural channels were successfully thwarted by authorities at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
A total of 51 prospective illegal Hajj pilgrims had their departures prevented in six enforcement actions conducted from April to early May 2026.
“So far, we have conducted prevention six times, securing around 51 people. These efforts have been ongoing since April to May 2026,” said the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Chief, Kombes Wisnu Wardana, quoted from Antara on Wednesday (6/5/2026).
Police examined several witnesses, from the prospective pilgrims who failed to depart to parties suspected of organising the trips.
“We are also coordinating with the National Police Hajj Task Force to strengthen supervision,” Wisnu stated.
Meanwhile, the Head of Criminal Investigation at Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police, Kompol Yandri Mono, said investigators have also summoned several parties, including the suspected field coordinator.
“Currently, we are still investigating witnesses. We are even summoning several people to take statements,” Yandri said.
From preliminary examinations, the prospective pilgrims were found to have paid fees between Rp 200 million and Rp 250 million per person in the hope of departing without official visas.
The uncovering of this case began with information about the planned departure of 23 Indonesians via Terminal 3 international on 2 May 2026.
After in-depth investigation with immigration authorities, officers found indications of illegal trip arrangements.
Police suspect the involvement of coordinators who recruit pilgrims, arrange trips, and attempt to sneak them through the departure process.
In practice, the pilgrims were provided with documents such as passports, iqomah, and Saudi Arabia entry-exit permits to appear as workers returning from leave.
From that group, seven people reportedly departed earlier, while the rest were prevented, and some were known to have stayed at hotels near the airport.