Malaysian pilot arrested in connection with Jakarta drug syndicate

A second Malaysian pilot has been arrested in the Klang Valley as part of an investigation into an international drug trafficking syndicate. According to Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, director of the Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID), the suspect is in his 30s and is accused of managing the flow of cash and transferring proceeds from drug sales.

The investigation stems from a July incident at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia, where a 39-year-old Malaysian co-pilot was detained. During a luggage inspection, authorities seized approximately 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing 26 kilograms and 4 grams of methamphetamine, with an estimated value of RM45 million (US$11 million). The first pilot is facing the death penalty in Indonesia.

The newly arrested suspect reportedly works for a different airline than the individual detained in Jakarta. This latest arrest brings the total number of individuals detained in connection with the probe to seven.