Garut Police Chase Perpetrators Of Umrah Travel Fraud To 32 Residents

Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Garut Police AKP Ari Rinaldo. (ANTARA/Feri Purnama)

Garut Police conducted an investigation into the case of 22 residents of Garut Regency, West Java, who were victims of fraudulent Umrah departures. Investigators continue to collect a number of witness statements and evidence. "Currently we are still examining the witnesses," said Head of the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Garut Police AKP Ari Rinaldo in Garut, as reported by Antara, Monday, December 4. This case has been officially reported by the victim residents. Police, he claims, are pursuing it. "The perpetrator is still being chased," said Ari. Each of the victims of the fraud spent Rp. 30 million. Meanwhile, residents whose status is Ustaz or Koran teachers are given relief or subsidies so that they can only pay Rp. 20 million per person. "The perpetrators also gave relief to the victims by paying the Umrah fee in installments, some of the victims had already paid Rp. 6 million to Rp. 30 million," said Ari. He conveyed that the congregation from Garut was scheduled to depart in October 2023, but the organizers had postponed it with a scheduled departure on November 22, 2023. They all left by bus.

The group then stayed at a hotel in the Cengkareng area, Jakarta. The congregation then asked the suspect about the next departure time. However, the perpetrators conveyed that the schedule was postponed again. Suspicious of being a victim of fraud, the victim then returned to Garut and reported the incident to the police.