Malaysian pilot suspected of smuggling drugs to multiple countries since 2024
Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- A Malaysian Airlines pilot detained in Indonesia is suspected of transporting illicit substances to several countries since 2024.
- The suspect confessed during questioning in Jakarta that he was involved in carrying drugs out of Malaysia according to his flight schedule.
- Authorities are investigating drug syndicates in Malaysia and abroad based on information provided by the pilot, who was arrested with ecstasy pills and methamphetamine.
A Malaysian Airlines pilot, apprehended in Indonesia last month, is suspected of a repeated role in smuggling illegal drugs to multiple destinations since the beginning of 2024. The suspect allegedly acted as a courier, transporting narcotics out of Malaysia based on his flight itinerary.
Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, Director of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) at Bukit Aman, revealed that the pilot confessed to his involvement during questioning by the JSJN team in Jakarta. "He has been involved since 2024, with his role being to carry drugs out of the country to several destinations according to his flight schedule," Hussein stated. "This is not the first time, as he has carried drugs to several countries multiple times."
He has been involved since 2024, with his role being to carry drugs out of the country to several destinations according to his flight schedule.
The pilot, aged 39, was arrested on July 29 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, after arriving from Kuala Lumpur on flight MH727. Indonesian customs officials flagged his luggage for suspicious X-ray scans, leading to a further inspection. This search uncovered 14 packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills, weighing approximately 25 kilograms, and four grams of methamphetamine hidden within his belongings.
During the interrogation, the pilot also provided information regarding several drug syndicates operating both in Malaysia and internationally, including in Indonesia. The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) plans to conduct further investigations into the identified syndicate members and trace the financial flows associated with drug trafficking. Information pertaining to these international networks will be shared with relevant drug enforcement agencies in affected countries. Indonesian police reported that the pilot was promised a payment of RM50,000 to transport the drugs to Jakarta, where they were to be collected by another individual from a hotel.
This is not the first time, as he has carried drugs to several countries multiple times.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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