Indonesian Police Follow Up on Arrest of Three Indonesian Nationals in Mecca for Alleged Hajj Fraud

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian National Police (Polri), as part of the Hajj and Umrah Task Force, is following up on a report regarding the arrest by Saudi Arabian security forces in the city of Mecca of three Indonesian citizens on suspicion of hajj service fraud.

Deputy Chief of Polri, Police Commissioner General Dedi Prasetyo, stated that Polri will collaborate with the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Riyadh to communicate this case with the Saudi Arabian police, as the locus of the incident is in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

“Regardless, Indonesian citizens facing legal issues in another country, it is the state’s obligation to also provide legal assistance,” he said at the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency building in Jakarta on Thursday.

On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak revealed that the three Indonesian citizens are suspected of committing fraud by producing and advertising fake hajj-related documents.

“They carried out this criminal act and were subsequently arrested by Saudi Arabian police, which naturally requires assistance from our police in Indonesia,” he said.

To handle this case, he stated that his side has requested additional Polri personnel to engage more extensively with Saudi Arabian police regarding the regulation and management of hajj in that country.

“The three are suspected of being involved in fraudulent practices and embezzlement related to illegal hajj services, including the dissemination of fake hajj service advertisements on social media,” said Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heni Hamidah.

According to Heni, Saudi Arabian security forces also found several pieces of evidence, including money, computer devices, and hajj cards suspected to be fake. Two of the three individuals were reported to be wearing Indonesian hajj official attire at the time of arrest.

“Currently, the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah is verifying the identities of the perpetrators, coordinating with local authorities to guide the subsequent legal process in accordance with applicable regulations,” said Heni.