39-year-old Malaysian pilot faces death penalty over alleged drug smuggling in Indonesia
A 39-year-old Malaysian pilot, identified only as MS, has been arrested with more than 70,000 ecstasy pills in his luggage in Indonesia, police said on Friday.
The suspect was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after flying passengers from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta late on Wednesday.
Authorities said a urine test showed that the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine.
“The results of his urine test came back positive for meth, MDMA, and cocaine. So, at the time of the flight, he was under the influence,” airport customs official Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang told reporters.
“What concerns all of us is that this person’s profession is a pilot, and at the time he arrived, he had just flown that plane from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia,” he added.
Customs officers said they found 14 bags containing more than 70,000 ecstasy pills in the pilot’s checked luggage, along with four grams of methamphetamine in his hand luggage, which investigators believe was intended for personal use.
Authorities said the suspect had likely expected to pass through a dedicated customs lane for flight crew but was subjected to the same screening procedures as other travellers.
If convicted of drug trafficking under Indonesian law, the suspect could face the death penalty.
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