Police Arrest Couple Behind Marwah Wedding Organiser Over Alleged Wedding Fraud

The Special Criminal Investigation Unit (Satreskrim) of East Jakarta Metropolitan Police have arrested a married couple identified as RM and ER. They are the owners of Marwah Wedding Organiser (WO), suspected of defrauding multiple couples.

East Jakarta Metropolitan Police Chief Kombes Pol Alfian Nurrizal confirmed the couple were taken into custody on Saturday, 30 May, following numerous reports from victims who paid for wedding services but never received them.

“The suspects have been formally named. Detention is to facilitate the investigation and prevent evidence tampering,” Alfian stated in Jakarta on Sunday, 31 May.

Preliminary investigations indicate the suspects allegedly took full payments or deposits from couples for wedding services, but vanished after receiving the funds without fulfilling contractual obligations.

The case came to light when numerous couples panicked as they struggled to contact Marwah WO close to their wedding dates, despite having entrusted all logistics and vendors to the organiser.

Before the arrests, East Jakarta Metropolitan Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit Chief AKP Bayu Kurniawan inspected Marwah WO’s office in Jakarta Garden City (JGC), Cakung, but found it closed with no activity.

So far, investigators have interviewed at least three witnesses to strengthen evidence. Police are also probing whether there was premeditated flight, as the suspects were previously untraceable before being apprehended.

“We are still investigating the motives and activities of the suspects during the period they were unreachable by victims,” Alfian added.

Police urge anyone who used Marwah WO’s services and believes they were defrauded to report to East Jakarta Metropolitan Police. This step aims to help investigators determine the total losses and number of victims in the wedding fraud scandal. (Ant/Z-1)