Malaysia arrests 6 over drugs supplied to pilot caught with Ecstasy pills in Jakarta

Edition:Get unlimited access to the SCMPHIGHLIGHTSNewsBusiness & TechOpinionLifestyleMore +TopicsFocus to tailor your experience and present relevant ads. By clicking “Accept”, you agree that cookies can be placed per our NEWSearch the way you think. Try our AI-powered search to find news faster.-AllMalaysia arrests 6 over drugs supplied to pilot caught with Ecstasy in JakartaSIGN INPolice said the suspects were taken into custody during a special operation conducted last month2-MIN READ2-MIN1ListenPublished: 11:02am, 4 Sep 2026Six Malaysian men have been detained in connection with a drug smuggling case involving a 39-year-old Malaysia Airlines pilot detained at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia.The six were arrested following information obtained during questioning of the pilot by a team of Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) officers sent to Jakarta from August 11 to 15.Bukit Aman NCID director Commissioner Hussein Omar Khan said the six had allegedly acted as suppliers and couriers who provided drugs to the co-pilot.“All six, aged between 23 and 50, were arrested in a special operation conducted by the NCID from August 20 to 28,” Hussein said on Friday.“Investigations and intelligence gathering found that they played roles as upline and downline members of the drug distribution syndicate involving the co-pilot,” he said.“Further investigations are being conducted, and all six have been detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985.”Under the Act, police have the power to detain suspects for up to 60 days to facilitate investigations before further detention orders are issued.01:39Malaysian police investigate how pilot moved drugs past 4 layers of airport checksHussein said the NCID would also share information obtained with the Indonesian national police.The pilot was detained at the international arrival terminal of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after arriving from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines flight MH727 on July 28.He was detained at about 11.30pm local time after Indonesian customs officers found his luggage suspicious during an X-ray scan and directed him to an examination room after he collected his baggage.A subsequent inspection uncovered 14 packages containing 70,114 Ecstasy pills weighing about 25kg (55lbs) in his luggage, as well as 4 grams of methamphetamine in his carry-on belongings.The drugs were estimated to be worth 45 million ringgit (US$11 million).Further ReadingAccording to Indonesian police, the co-pilot had allegedly been promised 50,000 ringgit to transport the drugs to Jakarta, where they were to be collected by another individual from a hotel.This story was first published by The Star