Malaysian Pilot Smuggled Drugs and Carried 'Clean' Urine to Cheat Tests
A Malaysia Airlines pilot, Mohd Saufi bin Othman, 39, was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after being caught smuggling narcotics. It has been revealed that Saufi allegedly not only acted as a courier for ecstasy and crystal methamphetamine but also carried a reserve supply of urine, suspected to be for cheating drug tests.
The Malaysian pilot was arrested after customs officers became suspicious during an X-ray examination of passenger luggage at Terminal 3 International Arrivals on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, at around 23.30 Western Indonesian Time. Officers then inspected the suitcase and its owner in the customs office.
Director of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Unit for Drug Offences, Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, stated that officers spotted a suspicious suitcase, which was later collected by its owner, Mohd Saufi bin Othman, a pilot for a foreign airline. Upon inspection, the suitcase was found to contain 14 large packages and one smaller package of crystal methamphetamine.
Customs officials then reported the finding to the National Police’s Drug Crime Directorate. Saufi, who has now been named a suspect, admitted he was instructed by someone to bring the methamphetamine to Jakarta for a fee of RM 50,000.
A subsequent urine test conducted by the police returned a positive result for three types of drugs. The head of Soekarno-Hatta Customs, Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, confirmed the pilot tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine, indicating he was under the influence while flying.
Customs spokesperson Satria Yudhatama disclosed that the suspect attempted to deceive officers by carrying a bottle of clean urine. The urine was intended as a precautionary measure in case a drug test was administered. The bottle was found in the suspect’s bag and had not yet been used. According to his confession, the urine was collected before he consumed narcotics, to be used if the airline or aviation authorities conducted a random test.
Malaysia Airlines has responded to the incident, stating it will cooperate fully with Indonesian authorities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The airline told Malaysian national news agency Bernama that it is refraining from further comment as the matter is under investigation, but stressed it does not tolerate any form of misconduct and is conducting an internal review. The carrier added that the safety, security, and integrity of its operations remain its top priority.