New CCTV shows M’sian pilot caught with 70,000 ecstasy pills, bottle of urine after flying passenger plane
Newly released CCTV footage shows the moments before a Malaysian pilot was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle more than 70,000 ecstasy pills into Indonesia after flying a passenger plane from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta.
The footage, released by Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise on Aug 3, shows the 39-year-old co-pilot, identified only as MS, collecting two suitcases before heading through the airport’s dedicated crew lane.
According to Indonesian customs, officers had already flagged one of the suitcases after suspicious X-ray images and its risk profiling system raised concerns, reported The Star and SAYS.
The pilot was escorted to a customs inspection room, where officers allegedly found about 26kg of MDMA, equivalent to 70,114 ecstasy pills, concealed beneath the contents of a silver hard-shell suitcase.
Authorities also said about 4g of methamphetamine was found in another bag belonging to him.
The seized drugs have an estimated street value of 60 billion rupiah (about S$4.7 million).
Bottle of urine allegedly meant to fake drug test
The final moments of the CCTV video show officers displaying a small bottle allegedly containing urine.
According to Indonesian customs, investigators believe it was intended to manipulate the results of a drug test if one was conducted, reported SAYS and The Star.
A caption in the video also stressed that while flight crew have access to a dedicated fast-track lane, they are not exempt from customs inspections.
The suspect and the seized drugs were later handed over to Indonesia’s National Police Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) for further investigation.
Pilot allegedly flew passenger plane while under influence of drugs
According to CNA, the pilot had just co-piloted a Malaysia Airlines passenger flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta before his arrest on Jul 29.
A urine test later found that he had been under the influence of cocaine and methamphetamine, Indonesian authorities said.
Customs officer Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang described the case as particularly concerning because the suspect had “just flown that plane from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia”.
The pilot allegedly told investigators he had agreed to bring the drugs into Indonesia in exchange for RM50,000.
Police also suspect he may have smuggled drugs into Indonesia on two previous occasions and believe he could be linked to an international drug syndicate, according to CNA.
If convicted under Indonesia’s drug laws, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Questions raised over how luggage cleared KLIA
The case has also prompted investigations in Malaysia into how the pilot’s luggage passed through Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) without being stopped.
According to Malay Mail, Malaysian police have identified an airport employee in his 30s who worked at the security screening area as a person of interest.
Federal police said the pilot’s luggage had passed all four stages of screening through the dedicated staff lane under existing procedures without being flagged for secondary inspection.
Investigators are also looking into how the pilot allegedly obtained the drugs in Malaysia, whether he had links to an international trafficking syndicate and how the drugs bypassed airport security.
Malaysia Airlines has said it is cooperating fully with the authorities and has launched an internal investigation, reported Malay Mail and CNA.
Expert: Pilot put lives at risk
The case should serve as a wake-up call for the aviation industry, a Malaysian security expert said.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, National Defence University of Malaysia professor Dr Mohd Mizan Mohammad Aslam said the allegations were especially alarming because the pilot was allegedly under the influence of drugs while operating a commercial flight.
“It jeopardises the life of the people he was piloting,” he said.
Dr Mizan also called for stronger airport screening systems and regular security reviews, saying crew members should not be assumed to be exempt from scrutiny.
“The way this pilot carried this contraband — it was not something he tried to hide. He just put it in his bag like he was carrying food,” he said.
“He thought he had immunity because he is an airline crew member, so he could just pass through the checkpoints without any issues.”
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