177 Indonesians detained in Manila over Hajj fake passport scam

A group of 177 Indonesian nationals remained detained in the Philippines on Saturday after they were caught the previous day allegedly attempting to board a flight to Saudi Arabia to take part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage using fake Philippine passports, according to immigration officials.

The Indonesians were reportedly about to board an early morning flight to Medina when they were apprehended by immigration personnel at Manila International Airport, who discovered that the group were unable to speak any Philippine language or dialect.

An official at the Bureau of Immigration told epa on Saturday that investigations into the identities of the Indonesians and the source of their fake passports is underway.

The official added that the detainees are being given time to rest and eat while being held by authorities, and it is expected they will be deported in the coming days.

According to local media reports, five Filipinos who were supposed to accompany the group on the trip were also arrested.

Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, is completed by millions of Muslims every year, including thousands from Indonesia, home to the world’s biggest Muslim population.

There are currently an estimated 3.2 million Indonesians on the Hajj wait list, which takes an average of 37 years.

Initial investigations suggest the detainees were given Philippine passports to enable them to join this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, expected to run from September 9 to 14, using the quota reserved for Filipino pilgrims by the Saudi government, according to local news site GMA.