Hanania Travel Controversy as Owner Named Suspect

Thousands of prospective pilgrims’ hopes of undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage turned to disappointment, leading to legal proceedings. After months of waiting for departure confirmation and refunds, Ahmad Syah Farhan, the CEO of PT Khazanah Tamma Internasional (Hanania Group), has been named a suspect by Jakarta Metropolitan Police. The suspect designation marks the latest development in the alleged umrah travel fraud case, which began with delays in pilgrim departures since early 2026. Passengers had even received visas, luggage, and umrah gear weeks before the scheduled departure. However, as the departure date approached, the travel agency cited Middle East conflicts and transit flight issues via Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as reasons for the postponement. Over time, passengers questioned these claims as other travel agencies continued to send pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. One victim, Novi, 39, said she and other pilgrims independently investigated the cause of the delay. ‘It turned out tickets and hotels had not been issued. Eventually, he admitted it wasn’t force majeure but a lack of funds,’ Novi said. Complaints from passengers were escalated to the Ministry of Hajj. In mid-April 2026, victim representatives and Hanania Travel underwent mediation. During the meeting, Hanania Travel proposed a staged refund scheme, promising 30% by end-May 2026, 40% in June, and 30% in July. The agreement initially offered new hope to victims. However, as the first payment deadline of 29 May 2026 approached, many pilgrims reported not receiving the promised funds. ‘He said he couldn’t pay. It’s hopeless, so we’ve had to take legal action. His promises were all empty,’ Novi added.