Legislator Urges Maximum Asset Tracing in Hanania Travel Fraud Case

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) Bimantoro Wiyono has urged maximum asset tracing in the case of alleged Umrah travel fraud by Hanania Travel. Bimantoro stated on Friday that tracing assets is crucial to guarantee the return of funds to the victims who suffered losses. “I encourage asset tracing to be carried out to the fullest extent, including the possibility of fund transfers to other accounts, affiliated companies, family members, and digital assets. Do not let assets that could be used to repay victims’ losses disappear because they went undetected,” he said. The lawmaker, who focuses on legal affairs, called on the Police, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK), and other relevant agencies to synergise more intensively to track the flow of funds. “Besides delivering justice for the victims, this step also serves as a deterrent for parties intending to commit similar crimes in the future,” he added. He noted several indications pointing to the alleged implementation of a Ponzi scheme in the management of pilgrims’ funds by Hanania, where money from new participants was suspected to have been used to cover obligations to previous participants. “This creates a ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ pattern,” he said. “We must have clear data on the total losses suffered by the victims so that the process of restoring their rights can be carried out optimally,” he added. According to him, the minimal amount of funds successfully returned to victims should be a key indicator for investigators to examine further. Bimantoro highlighted the company’s admission that its operational funds have been depleted. “This raises a big question. A company typically has initial capital, operational funds, retained profits as reserves, and ongoing revenue. If everything is empty, that is suspicious and warrants further investigation,” he said. Additionally, he drew attention to the use of influencers, celebrities, and public figures in the travel agency’s promotions. Investigators have been asked to ascertain whether any parties were aware of and involved in the alleged fraudulent practices. Director of Special Criminal Investigation at Polda Metro Jaya, Senior Commissioner Iman Imanudin, confirmed that the investigation would not stop at the company or the suspects but would also extend to parties affiliated with the suspects. “The preliminary estimate of the total losses, based on our current investigation results, is around IDR 95.22 billion,” Iman said during a hearing with Commission III of the DPR at the parliament complex in Jakarta on Thursday (18/6).