PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian pilot has been arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle about 25kg of MDMA (ecstasy) and some methamphetamine through Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, says Bukit Aman.
Its Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed the 39-year-old’s arrest shortly after arriving in Jakarta from Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
“The suspect was arrested there (in Indonesia) and will face action under the country’s laws,” he said when contacted.
Earlier, the suspect was detained after customs officers detected suspicious images in a crew member’s luggage during an X-ray scan.
A subsequent inspection uncovered 14 packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing an estimated 25kg, along with 2.7g of methamphetamine.
The suspect also tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine.
Earlier, Indonesian national police criminal investigation agency (Bareskrim Polri) narcotics directorate director Brig Gen Eko Hadi Santoso was reported as saying that preliminary investigations found the suspect admitted to acting as a drug mule for an international drug syndicate.
He said the suspect had been promised about RM50,000 by a syndicate mastermind in Malaysia to transport the drugs to Jakarta.
Upon arriving in Indonesia, the suspect was instructed to check into a hotel where he would be contacted by syndicate members to hand over the luggage containing the drugs.
Investigations also revealed that this was not the first time the suspect had been involved in drug smuggling activities.
The suspect allegedly admitted to acting as a courier for the syndicate on three occasions, including delivering methamphetamine to Sabah and smuggling about 7kg of methamphetamine into Jakarta in an earlier assignment.
He is currently being held at the Bareskrim Polri detention centre to assist investigations, including efforts to identify the syndicate network believed to be operating across Malaysia and Indonesia.
