Illegal Hajj Travel Agent Arrested in Bali After Allegedly Swindling Pilgrims of Up to Rp350 Million Each

On November 5, 2026, police at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali announced the arrest of a travel agency owner, identified by the initials MS, a private-sector employee based in Denpasar, on suspicion of illegally organizing Hajj pilgrimages and committing fraud.

The case began on the night of May 22, 2026, when immigration officers at the airport's international departure terminal stopped 13 prospective pilgrims from boarding Malaysia Airlines flight MH-850 from Denpasar to Kuala Lumpur. Officials said the travelers' passports were valid and the Malaysia route was visa-free, but they feared the group intended to push on to Saudi Arabia without proper Hajj documentation, risking being stranded or left without safety guarantees abroad. Immigration coordinated with airport police to halt the departure.

According to investigators, MS told victims they could perform Hajj quickly without going through the official waiting list, claiming that a Saudi temporary residence permit (iqama) could serve as a substitute document for the pilgrimage. In practice, victims were first flown to Malaysia, after which MS arranged onward tickets to Saudi Arabia. Fees ranged from Rp250 million to Rp350 million (roughly USD 16,000–22,000) per person, with all payments funneled into accounts under the name PT Hebat Anugerah Ilahi. Victims came from various parts of Indonesia, including Banyuwangi, Denpasar, and Sidoarjo, and at least eight have formally filed police reports.

Investigators found that MS's travel business had operated for more than a year without official registration as a licensed Hajj organizer (PIHK) with Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs. Police believe the suspect may have sent pilgrims abroad in previous years and are still determining the full scale of past operations, though the current investigation is focused on the group of roughly a dozen pilgrims whose departure was blocked.

MS had evaded an initial summons while abroad but complied with a second summons, after which he was arrested and detained. Evidence seized includes 12 photos of iqama cards, five bank transfer records (from BSI, BRI, and Mandiri) to the PT Hebat Anugerah Ilahi account, victims' bank statements, the MH-850 flight manifest, and boarding pass photos from AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, and Garuda Indonesia. MS faces charges under Indonesia's 2025 Hajj and Umrah Law (unauthorized operation as a licensed Hajj organizer, punishable by up to six years in prison; unauthorized collection of Hajj fees, up to four years) as well as fraud charges under Article 492 of the Criminal Code.

Police urged the public not to be tempted by offers of "instant" Hajj trips using non-Hajj visas or routed through third countries, and to use only officially registered Hajj (PIHK) or Umrah (PPIU) travel agencies recognized by Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs/Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.