KUALA LUMPUR: Six local men have been detained in connection with a drug smuggling case involving a 39-year-old Malaysian pilot detained at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia.
The six were arrested following information obtained during questioning of the pilot by a team of Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) officers sent to Jakarta from Aug 11 to 15.
Bukit Aman NCID director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the six had allegedly acted as suppliers and couriers who provided drugs to the co-pilot.
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"All six, aged between 23 and 50, were arrested in a special operation conducted by the NCID from Aug 20 to 28.
"Investigations and intelligence gathering found that they played roles as upline and downline members of the drug distribution syndicate involving the co-pilot.
"Further investigations are being conducted, and all six have been detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985," he said when contacted on Friday (Sept 4).
Under the Act, police have the power to detain suspects for up to 60 days to facilitate investigations before further detention orders are issued.
Comm Hussein said the NCID would also share information obtained with the Indonesian National Police (Polri).
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The pilot was detained at the International Arrival Terminal of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after arriving from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines flight MH727 on July 28.
He was detained at about 11.30pm local time after Indonesian customs officers found his luggage suspicious during an X-ray scan and directed him to an examination room after he collected his baggage.
A subsequent inspection uncovered 14 packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing about 25kg in his luggage, as well as 4g of methamphetamine in his carry-on belongings.
The drugs were estimated to be worth RM45mil.
According to Indonesian police, the co-pilot had allegedly been promised RM50,000 to transport the drugs to Jakarta, where they were to be collected by another individual from a hotel.
