Kemenhan Ingin Tingkatkan Keterlibatan Teknis Polri di Arab Saudi

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak and Wakapolri Komjen Dedi Prasetyo at the National Police Headquarters, Jakarta, Thursday (30/4/2026). ANTARA/Asep Firmansyah

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah (Kemenhaj) wants to increase the technical involvement of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) in Saudi Arabia, including by proposing the addition of personnel to strengthen coordination with local authorities.

Deputy Minister of Hajj and Umrah (Wamenhaj) Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said the increased involvement was for the regulation and governance of the implementation of the hajj, as well as ensuring protection for Indonesian pilgrims.

"We agreed that we will ask for additional personnel to be involved in the Saudi Arabia Police technically to talk more with the Saudi Arabia Police regarding the arrangement and management of the hajj there," said Deputy Minister of Hajj Dahnil when holding a meeting with the Deputy National Police Chief Commissioner Dedi Prasetyo at the National Police Headquarters, Jakarta, Thursday, April 30, reported by ANTARA.

Minister of Hajj Dahnil stated that the government continues to strengthen efforts to prevent illegal Hajj practices through cross-agency coordination, especially with law enforcement through the formation of the Hajj Task Force.

This Hajj Task Force consists of a number of law enforcement agencies, such as the National Police and the Ministry of Immigration and Corrections. Its task is to prevent illegal Hajj practices.

Wamenaj Dahnil explained that one of the main issues discussed in the meeting was the involvement of the Police in handling criminal cases in Saudi Arabia, especially those involving Indonesian Citizens (WNI).

According to him, various practices of violations such as illegal hajj and fraud handled by the Saudi security apparatus require assistance and escort from the Indonesian side.

For example, he said, the police authority in Saudi Arabia recently arrested three Indonesian citizens suspected of committing fraud by producing and distributing false documents related to the implementation of the hajj.

"They committed this crime, then were arrested by the Saudi Arabian Police and of course it requires assistance from our Police in Indonesia," he said.

Meanwhile, Director General of Hajj and Umrah Control at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Harun Arrasyid, said that Indonesian citizens who were arrested by Saudi police were suspected of being support personnel for Hajj officers.

Kemenhaj, he said, was investigating the case, which would later be the subject of evaluation so that the implementation of the hajj was free from illegal practices.

"This is not from here, from the mukimin there. This is what we then delve into, because there it is being examined in closed session. It must be traced, tightened, what is the recruitment method," he said.