PUTRAJAYA: The decision on whether to seek the extradition of the Malaysian pilot arrested in Indonesia for alleged drug smuggling will be made after investigations are completed, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said investigations were still ongoing and the matter of extradition would be considered at a later stage.
“Let the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department complete its investigations first and decide on the next step, including the matter of extradition.
“He was arrested there and is subject to the laws of that country.
“For now, our goal is to obtain as much information as possible about the pattern to determine whether this is part of an organised crime syndicate or the actions of an individual.
“We have to establish all the facts before deciding on the next move,” Saifuddin Nasution said when met after the signing of an MOU between the Immigration Department and the Communications Ministry yesterday.
On July 28, the Malaysian pilot was arrested at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport by Indonesian authorities after they discovered 15 large packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills and methamphetamine in his luggage.
On a related matter, Saifuddin Nasution said a joint plan by the Home Ministry and Transport Ministry to improve security at entry points would be presented to the Cabinet.
The plan, which also aims to strengthen coordination among agencies, follows the arrest of the pilot.
“We want to see which areas can be improved and look at all the requirements comprehensively. I appreciate the fact that the Home Ministry has produced a plan that will strengthen controls at entry points so that incidents (of drug smuggling) do not recur,” he said.
On the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) drone unit, Saifuddin Nasution said 18 drones deployed during operations had detected more than 23,000 suspected drug users.
“Another improvement that AADK has successfully implemented is the use of 18 drones to enable round-the-clock surveillance. First, we mapped areas identified as drug abuse hotspots.
“The drone unit can conduct flights, including at night, to detect those involved. As a result, we have compiled a list of 23,317 suspected individuals,” he said.
He added that information gathered through drone surveillance would subsequently be sent to the operations room for enforcement action based on more accurate intelligence.
Saifuddin Nasution said the use of drone technology was among the improvements implemented by AADK to ensure its enforcement functions could be carried out more effectively and based on accurate information.
