Ecstasy Courier Pilot Exposes Drug Syndicate Network in Indonesia and Malaysia

A Malaysia Airlines pilot, Mohd Saufi bin Othman (39), was arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 26 kg of drugs into Indonesia. Malaysian police have received information from the suspect regarding the drug syndicate.

According to Malaysia’s Harian Metro, Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) Director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan stated that his department received information about a drug syndicate operating in Malaysia and Indonesia.

“The pilot has also provided information about several drug syndicates operating in Malaysia and other countries, including Indonesia,” Omar said on Saturday (15/8/2026).

Hussein said the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will investigate identified syndicate members, including money flows linked to drug sales, while information about the international network will be shared with law enforcement agencies in the countries involved.

“Interrogation found no indication of insider involvement at KLIA. This means he acted alone when passing through checks, and this matter needs to be examined further to determine how the drugs went undetected,” he said.

Hussein said the pilot remains in the custody of the Indonesian National Police (Polri) and must undergo legal proceedings in Indonesia. He also declined to comment on the possibility of extradition to Malaysia.

The 39-year-old pilot was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten on 29 July, after arriving from Kuala Lumpur on flight MH727.

Indonesian customs officers detected suspicious contents in his luggage through an X-ray scan at around 11.30 pm local time. Inspection found 14 packages containing 70,114 ecstasy pills weighing approximately 25 kg, along with 4 grams of methamphetamine in his cabin baggage. The drugs are estimated to be worth RM45 million.

According to Polri, the pilot was allegedly promised RM50,000 to transport the drugs to Jakarta, where someone was supposed to collect them at a hotel.

Hussein said the number of previous drug shipments, destination countries, and payments allegedly received by the pilot since 2024 are still under investigation.