Ministry of Tourism is investigating a scam ring nicknamed "quarantine mafia", forcing tourists to extend the quarantine period.
Indonesian authorities received many complaints from international guests, reflecting that they were disturbed by people related to the activities of the "quarantine mafia".
A Ukrainian tourist said that hotel staff in Jakarta asked her to quarantine for longer than the allotted time, and pay higher rent. The incident happened on the last day of quarantine. The female tourist was informed that she had a positive PCR result. After receiving the information, the Ministry of Tourism sent someone to do the PCR test again. The result is negative, the female tourist is free.
International visitors who have received three doses of the vaccine must self-isolate for three days upon arrival in Indonesia. People who have just received two injections need to be isolated for five days and seven days from the person who got the one shot. Photo: Antara
In January, Jade, a Canadian tourist, said she received a positive result at the end of a 10-day quarantine. She was confused because she found herself perfectly healthy and symptom-free. The results sheet had the wrong room number, Jade's date of birth, and some other information.
The female tourist called the Canadian embassy in Indonesia for help. Jade got a second PCR test and was still positive. But what makes her suspicious is that the two tests were performed by the same nurse at the hotel. However, Jade still complied with a 21-day quarantine with an additional cost of more than $2,000. She is currently traveling to Lombok.
A spokesman for the Canadian embassy confirmed there were "reports of fraud in the Covid-19 testing work in Indonesia" and "is assisting those affected".
Besides the suspicion of false positive results, many tourists complain about the standard of accommodation, the cost of isolation in Jakarta.
Matthew Joseph Martin, an American, said that he received a positive result on the last day of isolation at the hotel of his choice. He and his son were forced to move to another place to continue isolation. At the new hotel, he was asked to sign an agreement to accept all charges incurred. But the agreement does not specify the length of the quarantine, nor the cost. Initially, Matthew refused but the hotel staff threatened him to be deported from Indonesia. If that happens, he will not be able to reunite with his wife and children living in Bogor (60 km from Jakarta). In the end, Mathew signed the agreement, after asking for details of the cost.
He called it a scam because he had to pay 1,700 USD for a week's stay in conditions far beyond what he imagined. "The hotel is very dirty. It is not good for the health of people with Covid-19," he said.
Mathew also emailed the Ministry of Tourism about the condition of the hotel, posting a video of the quarantine room on Instagram. The hotel where Mathew is staying has not yet commented on this incident.
Matthew (left) was threatened with deportation from Indonesia if he refused to move to a quarantine hotel in Jakarta. Photo: Matthew Martin
Indonesian authorities decided to prevent these scams from continuing by allowing travelers to carry out independent testing (after receiving a positive result the first time on entry). Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno said new regulations and standards had been issued "in response to the 'quarantine mafia'". Mr. Uno also confirmed that the ministry is investigating and will severely punish those who violate the law.
Mr. Uno said there will be a hotline in English and Bahasa to assist travelers in quarantine. The help desk will provide information, the latest government regulations on quarantine.
Mr Uno's comments came after President Joko Widodo ordered the national police to investigate a loophole in the quarantine system. Police have set up a task force to deal with these scam allegations. However, they have not yet released the details of the results. According to local media, there are 12 hotels in the above line, with 300 local people involved and 417 international guests staying.
The Indonesian police representative also said that they will take tough measures against anyone involved in isolation scams, because this behavior is damaging the image of the country in the eyes of international tourists.
The Hotel & Restaurant Association (PHRI) denies the allegation of a "quarantine mafia". They assert that isolation service providers are not illegal and that the experiences experienced by international guests may be due to misunderstandings. "There is no such thing as a quarantine mafia. We have not found any evidence of wrongdoing," said Vivi Herlambang, a spokesman for PHRI.
A spokesman for the Covid-19 Task Force, Wiku Adisasmito, also denied allegations of fraud in the quarantine hotel. He said that the public should not exaggerate the incident without evidence.
According to data from this task force, more than 2,700 people who tested negative for Covid-19 upon entering Jakarta in January tested positive at the end of the standard quarantine period (7 or 10 days).
