Soekarno-Hatta Customs Intensifies Inspection of Flight Crew Baggage

The Soekarno-Hatta Customs Main Service Office in Tangerang, Banten, is enhancing its inspection and monitoring systems for the personal belongings of all flight crew members, covering both international and domestic airlines.

Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs Main Service Office, stated on Saturday that this measure was taken following the exposure of an ecstasy smuggling case involving more than 25 kilograms of narcotics, where a pilot from a neighbouring country acted as a courier.

“It is our obligation to provide a dedicated lane for crew members. However, following this incident, we will implement more rigorous random checks on pilots and flight crews,” he said. He noted that this incident serves as a major evaluation for future aviation security systems, particularly at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Nevertheless, he emphasised that the strict inspections are focused on the security of baggage rather than drug testing, as the authority for health and narcotics testing lies with the Ministry of Transportation or the airlines themselves. This intensified screening applies to all flight crew, including both foreign nationals and Indonesian crew members operating flight routes.

Previously, Customs revealed that a Malaysian pilot, identified by the initials MS (39), was part of an international ecstasy network and tested positive for drugs while flying into Indonesia. “The pilot tested positive for MDMA, ecstasy, methamphetamine, and cocaine in his urine test. This suggests he may have been under the influence while flying to Indonesia,” he explained.

The aircraft, flight MH727 on the Kuala Lumpur–Indonesia route, carried at least 170 passengers. Investigations revealed that the pilot had been involved in smuggling on three previous occasions: first, transporting methamphetamine to Sabah, Malaysia; second, transporting 7 kilograms of methamphetamine to Jakarta; and third, the recent case involving ecstasy and methamphetamine discovered by Soekarno-Hatta Customs officers.

In addition to the 14 packages of ecstasy, officers found 4 grams of methamphetamine hidden within his personal belongings. The illegal substances were stored in a large suitcase belonging to the pilot, hidden under a pile of clothing. The suspect utilised the ‘crew claim tag’ privilege during check-in at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which allows for a different processing lane than that used by general passengers.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect was allegedly paid 50,000 Ringgit (approximately Rp220 million) by a mastermind who is currently being investigated by the authorities.