Ministry of Hajj and Umrah to Revoke Licences and Prosecute Fraudulent Hajj Travel Organisers
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) has emphasised it will take firm action against Hajj and Umrah travel groups (KBIH/KBIHU) proven to have defrauded pilgrims. Sanctions will range from administrative warnings and revocation of operational permits to criminal prosecution.
Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak stated that the enforcement measures follow several cases of dam (penalty) embezzlement and badal haji fraud, which frequently involve KBIH operators. The total value of the suspected fraud carried out by these groups against pilgrims is currently estimated to have reached Rp1.4 billion.
“We are taking action against KBIH, KBIHU, or officers who do not follow the rules, because several recent cases of dam embezzlement and badal haji fraud often involve unscrupulous KBIH individuals,” Dahnil said at the Sukolilo Hajj Dormitory in Surabaya on Friday (12/6). He stressed that KBIH groups involved in abusing their authority must be dealt with swiftly so as not to tarnish the reputation of other KBIH that have been working properly to serve pilgrims.
“We believe the majority of KBIH are good servants of the community. These unscrupulous individuals must be swiftly brought to order so that the good KBIH, who are the majority, are not affected by irresponsible elements,” he stated. Regarding enforcement, Dahnil confirmed that several rogue KBIH operators have already been handled, both by Saudi Arabian authorities and Indonesian law enforcement.
He cited a case involving a KBIH from West Java. Once the suspected perpetrator arrived back in Indonesia and fell under domestic legal jurisdiction, the police immediately conducted an examination. “The West Java case was acted upon straight away. When they landed, because they had entered our jurisdiction, they were immediately interrogated and examined by the West Java Regional Police regarding the dam and badal fraud,” he explained.
For a case involving a KBIH from East Java, Dahnil said the administrative process is still underway. He revealed that the individuals found to have committed dam and badal haji fraud in the Holy Land were immediately repatriated. “We are resolving the East Java case administratively, and they were sent back immediately after being discovered in the Holy Land,” he said.
Dahnil stressed that the Ministry will not hesitate to revoke the operational permits of KBIH proven to have committed massive criminal fraud against pilgrims. However, for cases that are not yet considered massive, the ministry is still providing an opportunity for rectification through a mechanism of administrative warnings. “Yes, we will revoke their permits if they have committed massive criminal fraud. But there are some cases where we are issuing administrative warnings, first and second warnings,” he said.