Police Expose Methods of Illegal Hajj Operations: Using Ziyarah Visas to Other Countries

Indonesian National Police (Polri) have uncovered several modus operandi in the practice of organising illegal Hajj pilgrimages, which pose risks to prospective pilgrims. Deputy Head of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) Polri, Inspector General of Police Nunung Syaifuddin, stated in Jakarta on Friday that, based on monitoring results, one method identified is the misuse of non-Hajj visas, such as ziyarah visas and work visas. “The method involves sending prospective pilgrims earlier to obtain residence permits (iqamah), which are then used for Hajj,” said Nunung. Additionally, there are offers of Hajj without queuing at high costs that do not comply with official regulations, exploiting furoda visas, mujamalah, or amil visas, which are fundamentally not charged by the Saudi Arabian government. Polri also discovered the use of visas from other countries, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Brunei Darussalam, to illegally send Indonesian citizens through those countries to Saudi Arabia. Other identified cases include pilgrims failing to depart from several international embarkation points, such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Batam, and Makassar, as well as the abandonment of pilgrims abroad without clarity on accommodation, transportation, or the certainty of performing worship. Furthermore, fraudulent practices using Ponzi schemes were found, where funds from new pilgrims are used to send older ones, and embezzlement of funds under the pretext of force majeure to avoid refund obligations. “These methods are often exploited by certain individuals to carry out fraudulent practices and non-procedural departures that harm the public,” Nunung stated. Polri also highlighted the existence of illegal Hajj and Umrah travel agencies that are not registered as Official Hajj Special Service Providers (PIHK) or Official Umrah Travel Organisers (PPIU). These illegal agencies generally use fake identities or affiliations, offer non-transparent packages, and lack service standards and pilgrim protection. To protect the public, Polri has formed the Hajj and Umrah Task Force as a follow-up to coordination with the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Nunung said the Polri Hajj Task Force will prioritise three main strategies: preemptive, preventive, and law enforcement efforts.