Police Work with PPATK to Trace First Travel Umrah Scam Funds
22 August 2017 17:58 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The police coordinate with the Center for Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis (PPATK) to track the flow of funds from 31 savings accounts belonging to First Anugerah Karya Wisata or First Travel, the company being investigated in an alleged umrah scam.
"There are 31 bank books with different account numbers that we asked PPATK to check," director of the National Police’s criminal investigation department, Brig. Gen. Herry Rudolf Nahak said in Jakarta on Tuesday, August 22.
Read: PPATK First Travel Uses Umrah Funds to Purchase Private Assets
He said that there are also 13 more savings accounts related to First Travel that have been frozen. The accounts belong to, among others, name Andika Surachman (CEO), Anniesa Desvitasari (Director), Siti Nuraida Hasibuan (Commissioner), and First Travel.
Herry said 72,682 people signed up for cheap umrah travel packages offered by First Travel from December 2016 until May 2017. In that period, only 14,000 people who have been flown to Saudi Arabia.
According to police estimates, the alleged scam has incurred First Travel's victims about Rp848 billion in total loss.
Andika also owes Rp85 billion to ticket providers, Rp9.7 billion to visa processing services, a Rp24 billion to hotels in Saudi Arabia.
First Travel sold Umrah packages through its agents for Rp14.3 million, Rp25 million and Rp54 million per person.
"To keep the business going and attracting more customers, they sent some of the pilgrims," he said.
In May 2017, First Travel offered those who wished to leave to Mecca soon to pay an additional fee of Rp2.5 million per person to rent aircraft.
The police have named Andika, Anniesa and Siti Nuraida Hasibuan as suspects in the alleged scam, embezzlement and money laundering.
ANTARA
