Cops arrest another pilot in connection with Jakarta drug case

POLICE have arrested another pilot believed to be linked to a drug smuggling syndicate involving a Malaysian pilot who was arrested with drugs worth about RM45 million at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta.

The Malaysian male suspect, aged in his 30s, was arrested in the Klang Valley two days ago, bringing the total number of individuals arrested in Malaysia in connection with this case to seven.

Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the latest suspect was working for a different airline.

“Investigations found that this second pilot was believed to be involved in the flow of money between the syndicate and the co-pilot,” he said at a press conference in Kuala Selangor today.

Hussein said the suspect was believed to have been involved in the activities for about a year and helped transfer money linked to the syndicate.

“He managed money obtained from drug sales. The money was channelled through him.

“In other words, he was involved in managing the proceeds from drug sales,” he said.

Asked whether the activity could be categorised as money laundering, Hussein replied: “Yes.”

He also confirmed that investigations had established that the syndicate had an international network.

The latest arrest follows the detention of a 39-year-old Malaysian co-pilot at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta in July.

The co-pilot was arrested after he was allegedly found carrying 15 packets containing about 70,000 capsules suspected to be ecstasy and methamphetamine, weighing about 25kg in total and estimated to be worth RM45 million.

Following the arrest, a team of JSJN officers travelled to Jakarta from Aug 11 to 15 to question the suspect and exchange information with Indonesian authorities.

Information and intelligence gathered during the visit subsequently led to the arrest of six local men aged between 23 and 50 in a special operation conducted from Aug 20 to 28.

All six suspects were subsequently detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 to assist investigations into the syndicate.

The latest development places greater focus on the suspected financial network behind the drug operation, with police investigating how proceeds from alleged drug sales were transferred and managed. - September 9, 2026