Malaysian Police Also Investigate Co-pilot Caught Smuggling 26 kg of Ecstasy at Soekarno-Hatta
The case of Malaysia Airlines co-pilot Mohd Saufi bin Othman, who was arrested in Indonesia for allegedly smuggling drugs, is now also being investigated by Malaysian police. The Royal Malaysia Police are currently identifying an officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
Saufi was arrested by Customs officers after suspicions were raised during an X-ray examination of passenger luggage at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. He was found carrying more than 70,000 ecstasy pills, weighing 26 kilogrammes. Customs subsequently handed Saufi bin Othman over to the Indonesian National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) for legal processing. During examination, it was also revealed that Saufi tested positive for three types of drugs.
Saufi had smuggled drugs into Indonesia three times. He was paid 50,000 Malaysian ringgit by an individual, equivalent to approximately Rp219.4 million. ‘The suspect Saufi was instructed by someone to bring the ecstasy to Jakarta for a fee of 50,000 ringgit. Upon arrival in Jakarta, the suspect would be directed by a person, believed to be residing in Malaysia, that someone would collect it at the hotel,’ said Brigadier General Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim, to reporters on Tuesday.
Besides the narcotics, officers found a small bottle containing ‘reserve’ urine. The urine was allegedly prepared by Saufi to falsify test results in the event of a random inspection at the airport. Senior Commander Awaludin Amin, Head of Sub-Directorate 2 of Narcotics Crime at Bareskrim, said his party is investigating the co-pilot’s suspected involvement in a narcotics network. ‘Based on our interrogation and the suspect’s statement, he has brought these illegal goods into Indonesia three times. Twice to Jakarta and once to another region. This number may increase, so we ask for time to conduct a thorough investigation into this suspect,’ he explained.
Malaysia Airlines has responded to the arrest of its co-pilot for smuggling dozens of kilogrammes of ecstasy. The airline stated it will cooperate with Indonesian authorities in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Reported by Malaysian national news agency Bernama, Malaysia Airlines said it refrains from commenting further but takes the allegations seriously. In a statement to Bernama, the national carrier said it was not appropriate to comment further as the matter is under investigation by Indonesian authorities. ‘Malaysia Airlines wishes to reaffirm that it does not tolerate any form of misconduct and is currently conducting an internal review of the matter,’ it said, as quoted by Free Malaysia Today on Friday.
Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department Director Hussein Omar Khan said his party is also conducting an investigation. Staff involved in security screening at KLIA are also being examined. ‘We will summon him soon to assist in the investigation, and if necessary, we will arrest him,’ he said at a press conference at the Selangor police headquarters today, as reported by local media Harian Metro. Hussein said that according to KLIA security screening procedures, travellers must pass four levels of checks. If they fail the initial screening, they will automatically be unable to proceed to the next stage. ‘If they pass the first check, which is done automatically through the scanning system, they will not proceed to the second level,’ he said. ‘However, if something is detected or if the authorities have concerns, they will be sent for second and third level checks,’ he added. ‘In this case, if they passed the screening without any suspicious items being detected, they would be allowed to proceed,’ Hussein said.
Hussein also said Malaysian police are cooperating with Indonesian police to investigate how the suspect obtained the drugs. He said police are also investigating how the suspect managed to pass security checks at KLIA before leaving Malaysia, and are examining the wider distribution network, including possible links to an international syndicate in Indonesia. ‘We are waiting for permission from the Indonesian police. When the time is right, our officers will go there to interview the suspect,’ he said.