Malaysian Police Identify KLIA Officer Linked to Co-Pilot MSO's Ecstasy Smuggling

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) continue to investigate a large-scale narcotics smuggling case involving a Malaysian co-pilot with the initials MSO. Most recently, the authorities have identified the involvement of airport staff at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) who are suspected of facilitating the illegal operation.

Director of the Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID), Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, confirmed that the identified staff member is part of the personnel on duty in the airport inspection area. The individual will soon be summoned for intensive questioning.

“The individual is among the staff involved in inspections at KLIA. We will dig for further information, and if proven to be involved, we will make an arrest immediately,” Hussein said, as reported by the BERNAMA news agency on Tuesday (5/8).

Based on the results of the preliminary investigation, the suspect MSO is known to have obtained the supply of the illegal goods from an apartment in the Ampang area of Malaysia. The suspect’s method was relatively tidy, exploiting domestic flight routes before departing abroad.

On the day of the incident, MSO arrived at KLIA in the morning to deposit luggage already containing tens of thousands of ecstasy pills. Rather than flying directly to Jakarta, he first flew to Kota Kinabalu. Upon returning from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, MSO retrieved the suitcase and continued his journey to Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

MSO’s operation was foiled by Indonesian Customs as he attempted to enter Indonesian territory via Tangerang. Given that the case involves a cross-border network, PDRM is currently maintaining intensive communication with the Indonesian National Police (Polri).

Datuk Hussein added that his side is awaiting further information from the Indonesian authorities. PDRM plans to send personnel to Indonesia to assist in the provision of testimony and to strengthen the evidence related to the drug network involving the airline personnel.

PDRM identified the KLIA airport staff suspected of helping co-pilot MSO smuggle 70,114 ecstasy pills into Indonesia via Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

The details of the evidence are as follows: 8 packages containing a total of 694 ecstasy pills with a net weight of 266 grams, and 1 package of broken ecstasy pills with a gross weight of 4.2 grams.