April 19, 2025 | 03:22 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Authorities prevented 10 prospective Hajj pilgrims from the South Kalimantan city of Banjarmasin from departing for the Holy Land. They were discovered using work visas for their Hajj travel, and claimed to have paid between Rp100 million to Rp200 million to a travel agency.
The Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Chief, Commissioner Ronald Sipayung, said they are working with various parties, including Immigration and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, to further investigate the case. “We are still coordinating with various parties to handle the case,” Ronald said on Friday, April 18, 2025.
The Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police thwarted the illegitimate Hajj departure in cooperation with Soekarno-Hatta Immigration and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. “They were going to the Holy Land to perform the hajj pilgrimage on a work visa,” said Ronald.
The 10 individuals have been probed by the airport police.
Paying Rp100-200 Million
The Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police, Commissioner Yandri Mono, said the Banjarmasin Hajj hopefuls made payments between Rp100 and Rp200 million in order to depart for the religious worship. “(The figure) varies,” he said.
Escorted by representatives of the travel agency, the prospective hajj pilgrims, consisting of men and women aged 30 to 65, were scheduled to depart using Malindo Air OD 315 flight from Soekarno-Hatta Airport to Malaysia on April 15, 2025. “They brought documents including passports and work visas,” Yandri said.
The planned departure was stalled during the immigration inspection at Soekarno-Hatta Airport. The entourage raised officers’ suspicion due to their uniformed suitcases often seen in Hajj or Umrah pilgrimages. But Umrah flights are currently suspended in preparation for the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage.
Unaware of Using Work Visa
Based on this suspicion, Immigration eventually postponed the departure of the group, consisting of 9 prospective Hajj pilgrims and 1 representative from the travel agency from Banjarmasin. They were then handed over to the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police for further probing.
To the police, the 10 individuals from Banjarmasin claimed that they were going to perform the Hajj to the Holy Land, accompanied by personnel from Travel KBG using work visas.
“The travel agency failed to inform the prospective pilgrims they will be using work visas,” said Yandri.
According to Yandri, the pilgrims were supposed to be scheduled for departure in early May 2025, but the travel agency claimed to depart earlier so that the pilgrims could obtain Iqamah (official residence permits for foreign workers). “Due to the pilgrims' ignorance, they trusted the travel agency,” said Yandri.
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