Second Malaysian held in Indonesia over alleged drug smuggling attempt

INDONESIAN authorities are investigating a suspected international drug trafficking network after a second Malaysian national was arrested within a week over an alleged attempt to smuggle narcotics into the country.

The latest arrest involved a 22-year-old Malaysian man who was detained at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on Monday after authorities allegedly found nearly 1kg of methamphetamine and more than 1,000 ecstasy pills hidden beneath a corset he was wearing.

The suspect had arrived at Terminal 2 on Batik Air flight OD352 from Kuala Lumpur when officers discovered four packages containing 990g of methamphetamine, along with another four packages containing 1,089 ecstasy pills, according to Indonesian authorities.

Investigators said the man allegedly admitted to acting as a courier for an international drug syndicate, claiming he was driven by financial difficulties and mounting debts.

Juanda Naval Air Base commander Colonel Henoch Nasairus Virzawan said the suspect had attempted to conceal the drugs beneath the clothing item in an effort to avoid detection.

“However, the attempt was foiled,” he said during a press conference.

Authorities estimated the seized drugs had a street value of around Rp2.79 billion (about US$155,000), adding that the seizure could have prevented the substances from reaching thousands of users.

The suspect has since been handed over to Sidoarjo municipal police, who are continuing investigations to determine the wider network behind the alleged smuggling attempt.

The case comes shortly after another Malaysian national, a Malaysia Airlines pilot, was arrested at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for allegedly attempting to bring more than 70,000 ecstasy pills into Indonesia.

Malaysian authorities are working with their Indonesian counterparts in that case, including efforts to trace the source of the drugs, investigate possible links to organised syndicates and determine how the narcotics allegedly made their way through security checks. – August 4, 2026