A Malaysia Airlines pilot has been arrested in Indonesia over allegations that he attempted to smuggle 25kg of illicit drugs into the country.
The 39-year-old was apprehended last Tuesday at the entrance to Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after authorities allegedly found 15 large packages containing 70,114 ecstasy and methamphetamine capsules in his luggage.
The seized drugs are estimated to be worth RM45 mil.
According to the Indonesian Police force the drugs were discovered after officers noticed suspicious images during an X-ray inspection of the suspect’s baggage.
POLRI’s Director of Narcotics Crime Prevention, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, said initial investigations suggested the pilot had been recruited to transport the drugs from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta for payment.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect was paid RM50,000 to transport the drugs from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia via Jakarta,” he said.
According to Hadi, the drugs were allegedly handed over by an individual in Malaysia before being collected by another person at the suspect’s hotel in Jakarta.
Eko Hadi said authorities have not dismissed the possibility that the operation is linked to an international drug trafficking syndicate.
He further revealed that the suspect tested positive for drugs and allegedly admitted this was not his first time acting as a courier.
“The first time, he smuggled drugs into Sabah, while on the second occasion he allegedly trafficked seven kilogrammes of methamphetamine into Jakarta,” he revealed.
The pilot is currently being held at the POLRI Detention Centre and is expected to face charges related to transporting, importing, facilitating or conspiring to traffic large quantities of narcotics.—July 31, 2026
Main image: The Star
