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Police Identify 'Inside Man' Involved in 'Drug Pilot' Case at KLIA Security Screening
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Crime & Justice

Police Identify 'Inside Man' Involved in 'Drug Pilot' Case at KLIA Security Screening

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Malaysian police have identified an airport staff member involved in the security screening process at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in connection with a drug smuggling case involving a pilot.
  • The staffer, who works in uniform at KLIA, is suspected of facilitating the passage of drugs through the initial security checks.
  • Authorities are cooperating with Indonesian police to gather information on the arrest of a Malaysian Airlines co-pilot in Jakarta for smuggling ecstasy and methamphetamine.

Malaysian police are investigating an "inside man" at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) who may have aided a co-pilot in smuggling drugs. The suspect is a uniformed staff member responsible for security screening at the airport.

Until now, we have identified one person and we will contact him for questioning, if there is a need we will make an arrest. That is the airport staff involved in the screening.

— Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, Director of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) Bukit AmanHussein explains the immediate steps being taken to investigate the airport staff member suspected of involvement in the drug smuggling case.

Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, director of the Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, stated that the staff member, in his 30s, was involved in the security procedures at KLIA. He reportedly passed through a special lane for staff, which has the same screening methods as passenger routes. "We have identified one person and will contact him for questioning. If necessary, we will make an arrest," Hussein told reporters.

The co-pilot, 39, was arrested in Jakarta after Indonesian customs found 70,114 ecstasy pills and a small amount of methamphetamine in his luggage. He had flown from KLIA to Kota Kinabalu before heading to Jakarta. Police believe he obtained the drugs from an apartment in Ampang two days prior to his arrest.

The security screening procedure at KLIA has several stages up to the fourth level. So, if it passes the first stage, which is done automatically through the existing scanner system, it will not go to the second stage.

— Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, Director of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) Bukit AmanHussein details the multi-stage security screening process at KLIA, highlighting how drugs could potentially pass through if initial automated checks are cleared.

Authorities are working with Indonesian police to understand how the drugs were detected. "Are they using a system, physical checks, or a combination? Or did they receive information through random checks?" Hussein questioned. Malaysian police are awaiting approval from Indonesian authorities to interview the arrested co-pilot.

But, if at the first stage, something suspicious is detected during the authorities' inspection, it will go to the third stage. In this case, he went through and passed the first screening. When there is nothing suspicious, the item (contraband) will go through.

— Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, Director of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) Bukit AmanHussein elaborates on the screening process, explaining how the absence of suspicion at the first automated stage allowed the contraband to proceed unchecked.

Discussions are underway with the Ministry of Transport to enhance security screening procedures at KLIA. The investigation is examining the entire drug trafficking network, and police have obtained the suspect's contact number.

Are they using a system, physical checks, or a combination? Or did they also get information through random checks and so on.

— Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, Director of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) Bukit AmanHussein outlines the questions Malaysian police are posing to Indonesian authorities regarding how the drugs were detected during the co-pilot's arrest.
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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