Customs to Tighten Inspections of Belongings Belonging to Pilots and Flight Crew

Customs at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will tighten inspections of goods entering the airport, including those belonging to pilots and flight attendants. This decision follows an attempted drug smuggling operation involving a Malaysian pilot, who was suspected of hiding prohibited substances in a suitcase.

Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Type C Customs Main Service Office, stated that inspections for aircraft crew will be significantly more rigorous. “While pilots and flight crews do have a special lane, which is an airport obligation, following this case, we will tighten checks, including the items carried by pilots and flight crew,” Hengky told reporters at the Soekarno-Hatta Customs office on Friday (31/07/2026).

The intensified screening will not only target international flight crews but will also include domestic crews operating both domestic and international routes. “This is not only for foreign crews; Indonesian crews serving international flights will also undergo stricter screening,” Hengky added.

However, he clarified that these measures focus on inspecting goods entering the airport, whereas health and drug testing for crew members falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation or the airlines. “This is not a drug test, as that is the domain of the Ministry of Transportation or the airlines,” he explained.

Previously, the Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) of the Ministry of Finance successfully intercepted a large shipment of drugs allegedly brought by a Malaysian pilot at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Friday (31/07/2026). The DJBC, alongside Soekarno-Hatta Airport authorities, thwarted an international drug trafficking attempt involving 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing 25.19 kg, packed in 14 plastic bags. Additionally, authorities seized 4 grams of methamphetamine from the same smuggling attempt.

The Director General of Customs and Excise, Djaka Budhi Utama, stated that Customs had detected the smuggling attempt by a Malaysian pilot on 29 July 2026. “Some time ago, Soekarno-Hatta Airport Customs successfully prevented or monitored an attempt to smuggle ecstasy and took enforcement action on 29 July 2026,” Djaka said during a press conference on Friday (31/07/2026).