Labuan Bajo travel agent probed after Italians report Rp79.8m trip loss

Labuan Bajo — Police in Manggarai Barat, East Nusa Tenggara, are investigating a reported fraud case involving a local travel agent and three Italian tourists who say they lost Rp79.8 million after paying for a liveaboard trip that did not go ahead as planned, according to local media reports.

The case centres on KA, 32, also known as Kristoforus or Itok Aman, owner of the Labuan Bajo Top travel agency and a resident of Rana Mbeling in East Manggarai. Police say reports from the three tourists allege that payments for a boat package were not transferred to the vessel operator as agreed.

According to several reports, six Italian nationals came to Labuan Bajo and reported the agent to Manggarai Barat Police on 12 August 2026, after losing contact with him when they arrived at the harbour on 9 August. Police later clarified that three of the six tourists — identified by their initials SS, 48, CG, 39, and RG, 57 — were named as victims in the formal loss report, with a claimed financial loss of Rp79.8 million.

Local media describe the package as a multi-day liveaboard trip in the Komodo National Park area, with the tourists expecting to board a charter vessel arranged through the Labuan Bajo Top agency. In practice, a travel agent may design and sell a package, while a separate company owns and operates the vessel and decides whether to accept passengers based on confirmed payment and available capacity.

What travellers should verify before paying

Police and tourism stakeholders in Manggarai Barat have warned that repeated complaints about problematic travel agencies risk damaging Labuan Bajo’s reputation as an international destination. For visitors, the reported case underscores how important it is to verify who is legally responsible for delivering a trip and how payments are handled.

Before paying for a liveaboard or island package, travellers should request the seller’s full legal business identity, including registered company name, address and contact details, and ask for evidence of relevant operating licences or permits where applicable, as recommended by local tourism advocates interviewed in coverage of these cases. Those details should be checked independently — for example, by contacting the harbour authority, vessel owner or local tourism office — rather than relying only on social media profiles or messaging apps.

A clear booking document should state the vessel name, dates, itinerary, number of nights, inclusions and exclusions, and the party responsible for providing the service. In the Italian tourists’ case, local reporting notes that the agent arranged a charter with a cruise operator, but the operator said it did not receive full payment and therefore did not proceed with the original trip. Written confirmation from both the selling agent and the vessel operator can help travellers confirm that a reservation is genuinely in place.

Travellers are also advised to confirm the account name and beneficiary before transferring money. If payments are requested to a personal account that does not match the stated business, they should ask for an explanation and supporting documentation, and keep invoices, receipts, bank-transfer records, contracts and chat messages together as a record of the transaction.

Police investigation and reported status

Satreskrim Manggarai Barat Police say they are investigating allegations of fraud and embezzlement linked to the Labuan Bajo Top agency after receiving the Italians’ report in mid-August. The head of the criminal investigation unit, AKP Lufthi Darmawan Aditya, has stated that officers are tracing the flow of funds and coordinating with other police units to locate the reported travel agent.

According to Lufthi, KA is currently recorded as a reported party rather than a formally designated suspect in the Italian tourists’ case, and he had not yet been placed on a wanted list as of early September. Local media also note that KA was previously named a suspect and detained in May 2026 in a separate case involving alleged fraud against Malaysian and Singaporean tourists, with reported losses of Rp85.2 million.

Police and local commentators emphasise that the allegations relating to the Italian tourists have not yet been tested in court. Until a court reaches a decision, KA’s legal status remains that of a reported party under investigation.

A simple payment and booking checklist

• Confirm the operator’s legal identity, address, contact details and, where relevant, licence or permit information.
• Ask the vessel operator or accommodation provider to verify the booking and the amount already paid.
• Ensure any invoice or booking document names the vessel, dates, itinerary, price and basic refund or cancellation terms.
• Use payment methods that generate traceable records, and avoid unrecorded cash transactions for high‑value packages.
• Save every receipt, conversation, contract and written confirmation before departure.

These steps cannot guarantee that a transaction is risk‑free, but they can help travellers spot inconsistencies in bookings and payment arrangements before reaching the harbour. Large discounts, pressure to pay quickly, or reluctance to provide written terms or official identification should prompt further checks rather than immediate payment.

Sources

• RRI Ende
• Floresa.co
• Detik Bali
• Teknokrat.ac.id article on Labuan Bajo travel scandal
• Suara Nusantara
• Media Indonesia