"The latest information we've received is that the 90 pilgrims had indeed departed [for Saudi Arabia], but they have [since] returned," the office’s haj and umrah head, Ajam Mustajam, told The Jakarta Post by phone on Thursday, seven days after the pilgrims were reported as "missing".

The 90 Indonesians had departed on umrah one day before Saudi Arabia announced a temporary ban on all umrah pilgrims in a measure to "limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic and prevent its access to the Two Holy Mosques", as quoted in TIME.

On Feb. 28, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia listed Indonesia as one of the countries whose citizens were barred from visiting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina as part of its prevention measures.

The decision left thousands of Indonesians stranded – some already en route to Saudi Arabia and others who had already checked in at airports around the country.

Ajam said that 790 umrah pilgrims from West Java were initially scheduled to depart on Feb. 27. When he was contacted again on March 3, however, Ajam said that only 700 had returned to the country and claimed not to know the whereabouts of the other 90 pilgrims.

Ajam clarified on March 5 that the 90 Indonesians had used the services of a travel agency in West Java, and were not part of the official group of pilgrims from the province.

“It is not because of an error in the system," he stressed, referring to the integrated umrah and haj computerized system that maintains records on all pilgrims traveling on the government-sponsored program.

“Their whereabouts were being tracked, but the regional office received the information late,” he said.

Ajam said that the office was now focusing on serving people who needed the required haj documents and extending or issuing new for umrah and haj permits at the 187 umrah and haj travel agencies in the province. (eyc)