According to Saudi Public Security, the four Indonesian nationals, all long-term residents of Saudi Arabia, were detained in Mecca for allegedly promoting fraudulent and misleading haj services through social media platforms.

“Security patrols in the Holy Capital arrested four Indonesian residents for fraud and deception by publishing fake and misleading haj campaign advertisements on social media,” the authority said in a statement released on Friday as quoted by Kumparan.com.

Authorities also confiscated fake haj permits and equipment allegedly used in the operation.

“The suspects have been detained, legal action has been taken against them and the case has been referred to the public prosecution,” the authority said.

Saudi Arabia enforces strict penalties for haj-related violations, including heavy fines, deportation and a 10-year entry ban from the kingdom.

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Security in Mecca has been significantly tightened ahead of next week’s haj peak, with Saudi authorities intensifying operations against violators of pilgrimage regulations.

Authorities have reinforced security at multiple checkpoints leading into the holy city, where pilgrims are subjected to layered inspections. Only individuals holding valid official haj visas are permitted to enter Mecca during the pilgrimage season.

Over the past month, Saudi authorities have arrested dozens of Indonesians for various haj-related violations.

Last week alone, 19 Indonesian nationals were detained over multiple alleged offenses, ranging from involvement in illegal haj services to illegally filming pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque.

Earlier this month, Saudi officials also detained 10 Indonesians on suspicion of organizing and promoting unauthorized haj pilgrimages.

Separately, 30 Indonesian travelers were also arrested at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah in early May after allegedly attempting to go on the haj using improper visas.

Read also: Police name 13 suspects for organizing illegal haj

At home, Indonesian immigration authorities have also stepped up enforcement to prevent pilgrims from leaving the country through unauthorized channels to go on the haj.

On Wednesday, immigration officials in Medan, North Sumatra, blocked the departure of 13 individuals who were allegedly attempting to travel for the haj without proper authorization. Medan Immigration Office spokesperson Reny Elisabeth Munthe said the group had tried to leave for Saudi Arabia on three separate occasions within the past month, using different airports across Indonesia.

“They attempted to depart via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten on May 10 but were unsuccessful. A few days later, they tried again through Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, Riau Islands, and most recently through Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra,” she said.

Reny said the attempts were repeatedly detected through Indonesia’s integrated immigration monitoring system, which links passenger data nationwide and is able to flag individuals on watchlists even when they change departure points.

The group was reportedly scheduled to travel on Malaysia Airlines flight MH0861 from Kualanamu to Kuala Lumpur, before continuing their journey to Saudi Arabia to go on the haj via non-procedural arrangements. The group consisted of eight men and five women.

After being prevented from departing on three occasions, the 13 individuals were handed over to the North Sumatra Police for further investigation, Reny said.

On Monday, the Surabaya Immigration Office in East Java also reported that it had foiled an attempt by 18 individuals to depart for the haj without proper documentation.

The group consisted of eight men and ten women from various regions, including Bangkalan, Sampang, Banjarmasin, Kuala Kapuas, Semarang, Gunungkidul and Bone.

Officials said the 18 individuals were attempting to travel via a Surabaya-Kuala Lumpur route before continuing onward to Saudi Arabia.

Authorities added that the suspected non-procedural pilgrims used various methods to evade detection, including posing as tourists visiting Malaysia or claiming they were returning to work in Saudi Arabia using residency permits and work visas.

Read also: Indonesian haj departures on track amid Middle East war

Currently, around 5.7 million Indonesians are on the haj waiting list, while the annual quota is only about 200,000 pilgrims. This results in an average waiting period of approximately 20 years for most applicants.  

The prolonged waiting time has led some individuals and travel agents to attempt to bypass official procedures by arranging unauthorized haj departures. 

During last year’s haj season, Saudi authorities detained around 1,000 individuals for not holding valid haj visas, including Indonesians. Meanwhile, Indonesian immigration authorities prevented the departure of approximately 1,250 Indonesians who attempted to perform the pilgrimage through unauthorized channels. (nal)

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