KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman has uncovered key information on drug syndicates operating in Malaysia and overseas after interviewing the Malaysian pilot nabbed in Jakarta over alleged drug smuggling.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the department's team of investigators received full cooperation from the Indonesian National Police (Polri), which granted them access to interview the 39-year-old suspect.
"The interview initially scheduled for Aug 12 and 13 went smoothly, with Polri subsequently allowing the Malaysian team to extend its sessions for another day until Aug 14.
“The suspect also cooperated well with the NCID investigation team," he said when contacted on Friday (Aug 14).
In the first two days of interviews, Comm Hussein said the team managed to obtain information on the syndicates involved in Malaysia and other countries, as well as the suspect’s involvement in the local and international drug trafficking network.
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"The information obtained had yielded important leads for the NCID, including efforts to trace members of drug syndicates operating in Malaysia.
"Information would also be shared with drug enforcement agencies in the countries concerned to assist in tracking the international network.
He added that among the important information obtained is how the subject managed to pass security screening at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), as well as the financial flows of the drug syndicate both locally and overseas.
Bukit Aman had earlier sent a team of NCID investigators and intelligence officers to Jakarta to assist in the investigation into a Malaysian pilot arrested by Indonesian authorities after allegedly smuggling drugs into the country.
The NCID investigation team was initially scheduled to be in Jakarta from Aug 11 to 15 to identify the source of the drugs, the smuggling method and possible links between the suspect and syndicates in Indonesia.
On July 28, the Malaysian pilot was arrested at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport by Indonesian authorities after officers discovered 15 large packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills and methamphetamine in his luggage.
