Indonesia Arrests Malaysia Airlines Pilot For Smuggling Drugs Into Jakarta

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesian authorities said Friday they person arrested a Malaysia Airlines aviator accused of smuggling of much than 57 pounds of ecstasy and a package of methamphetamine soon aft he landed successful Jakarta ’s world airport.

The 39-year-old Malaysian national, identified only by his initial, MS, was besides allegedly connected work while nether nan power of narcotics, said Eko Hadi Santoso, head of narcotics crimes astatine nan National Police Criminal Investigation Agency.

The lawsuit was uncovered precocious Tuesday erstwhile customs officers inspecting baggage astatine nan world arrival’s terminal of Soekarno-Hatta Airport noticed a suspicious suitcase during an X-ray screening. The luggage was later collected by nan suspect, whom constabulary identified arsenic a aviator for Malaysian Airlines connected formation MH727 from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta, Santoso said.

He said customs officers took nan aviator and nan suitcase to a customs inspection room for further examination. Police said they recovered 14 ample packages containing much than 70,000 ecstasy pills, weighing a full of astir 57 pounds, on pinch a abstracted package of methamphetamine. Police narcotics investigators took complete nan case.

“He has been named a fishy and detained,” Santoso told a associated news convention astatine nan airdrome connected Friday wherever constabulary showed nan narcotics seized from nan aviator to reporters. “Investigators are still conducting further inquiries to create nan web supra him,” he said.

During questioning, MS allegedly told investigators that he had been instructed by different personification to carrier nan ecstasy to Jakarta successful speech for astir $11,700, Santoso said. The aviator was told that aft arriving successful Jakarta he would person further instructions from a personification believed to beryllium successful Malaysia and that nan narcotics would beryllium collected from his edifice by different individual.

According to Santoso, nan aviator admitted to antecedently transporting narcotics connected 2 occasions. He told investigators that he had erstwhile delivered methamphetamine to Sabah, Malaysia, and later transported 15 pounds of methamphetamine to Jakarta.

The latest shipment connected Tuesday was intercepted earlier it could beryllium delivered. A supplier trial administered to nan fishy showed affirmative results for methamphetamine, ecstasy and cocaine, Santoso said.

The aviator is being investigated nether Indonesia’s narcotics law, which carries terrible penalties for trafficking ample quantities of forbidden drugs, including nan anticipation of nan decease penalty. Police did not instantly opportunity whether nan fishy had ineligible representation.

Malaysia Airlines said it was cooperating pinch authorities and had launched an soul reappraisal of nan incident.

“Malaysia Airlines wishes to reiterate that it does not tolerate immoderate shape of misconduct and is presently undertaking an soul reappraisal of nan matter,” nan hose said successful a connection cited by Malaysian media connected Friday.

The bearer added that nan safety, information and integrity of its operations stay its apical priorities.

Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonga, caput of nan Soekarno-Hatta Airport Customs Office, said nan lawsuit was different because nan alleged smuggling cognition had infiltrated nan aviation industry, wherever unit members person abstracted baggage declare tags identifying them arsenic hose personnel, he said, which creates a chopped processing transmission from that utilized by passengers.

“At check-in successful Kuala Lumpur, nan baggage followed a different transmission because nan declare tag identified it arsenic unit baggage,” Aritonga said.

He said investigators judge nan trafficking web exploited typical privileges typically granted to hose crews astir nan world, allowing them to move done airports nether procedures different from regular passengers.

The Australian constabulary precocious arrested a Thai hose worker and charged her for allegedly importing much than 2.2 pounds of heroin into Melbourne.

The 26-year-old female was connected work connected committee an world formation erstwhile she arrived astatine nan Melbourne Airport connected June 25. She was arrested aft raising suspicions during a baggage screening, nan Australian Federal Police said successful a connection connected its website.

Karmini writes for nan Associated Press.