Hanania Travel Fraud Victims Rise to 1,286, Losses Reach Rp35.3 Billion

The number of victims in the alleged fraud case involving the umrah and hajj travel agency Hanania Travel continues to swell. As of Wednesday (17/6), the total number of registered victims reached 1,286 people, with accumulated losses exceeding Rp35,342,293,500. This surge in data was revealed when the victims’ legal counsel, Joddy Mulyasetya Putra, visited the Jakarta Metropolitan Police to submit a third wave of complaint documents. In this latest report, an additional 620 people (pax) have filed complaints, with losses amounting to Rp16,768,745,500. “In this third wave today, we have compiled data on victims reported to the Jakarta Metropolitan Police, totalling approximately 620 pax. This is an addition to the previous data of 568 pilgrims,” Joddy stated at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police headquarters on Wednesday (17/6). Joddy disclosed that the investigation into the case is now uncovering a new modus operandi. Hanania Travel not only targeted prospective umrah pilgrims but also expanded into prospective special hajj pilgrims, known as ONH Plus. The legal team currently holds documents from four victims in the hajj cluster. “They had saved and handed over down payments to Hanania, but the funds were never deposited by the agency to the Hajj Financial Management Agency (BPKH),” he explained. Furthermore, the travel agency employed a marketing tactic by enticing the public with a free umrah package in the month of Syawal for those willing to immediately pay a hajj down payment. However, this promise was never fulfilled, and the pilgrims did not receive a hajj quota number. In this third wave of reporting, the legal team submitted a range of physical and digital evidence, including identity documents, proof of bank transfers to Hanania accounts, official invoices, and copies of digital conversations and visas that had been issued. Joddy explained that the complaints were filed collectively because the victims are spread across various regions of Indonesia, from Papua to Makassar. Geographical distance is a major obstacle for victims to report independently to Jakarta. The legal team is urging members of the public who believe they are victims of Hanania Travel, whether umrah or hajj pilgrims, to immediately report to the police or available legal posts to facilitate the data compilation process for law enforcement, which is now centralised at the Jakarta Metropolitan Police. The police are currently continuing to investigate the case and are searching for the possibility of other victims, particularly within the newly identified hajj pilgrim cluster.