PPATK freezes First Travel bank accounts

INVESTMENT SCAMS - The Financial Transaction Report and Analysis Center (PPATK) has frozen at least 50 bank accounts belonging to First Travel, a travel agency suspected to have siphoned off money from would-be umrah (minor haj) travelers.

PPATK chairman Kiagus Ahmad Badaruddin said the amount of money in the 50 bank accounts reached Rp 7 billion (US$524,619). The agency has also frozen seven insurance accounts, Kiagus said.

“We have handed over findings from our investigation and analysis to Bareskrim [the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department] for a follow-up,”  Kiagus said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He said that the PPATK had managed to get information regarding the flow of funds used by First Travel owner and president director Andika Surachman to buy 40 percent shares of a restaurant in London, UK.

“We have traced details from transactions related [to the share purchase].  We will find more about the remaining funds,” Kiagus said.

Bareskrim has named Andika a suspect in an alleged fraud and money laundering case, together with her wife Anniesa Hasibuan,  owner and director of First Travel, and her sister, Siti Nuraidah Hasibuan.

The police said First Travel’s suspected umrah scam practices inflicted at least Rp 848.70 billion losses upon 58,682 would-be pilgrims. (ebf)