Malaysia Respects RI's Legal Process for Drug Smuggling Pilot

Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise Main Service Office, Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, while revealing the case of international drug smuggling (ANTARA/Azmi Samsul M)

JAKARTA - The Malaysian government respects the legal process by the Indonesian government against a Malaysian pilot who was arrested for allegedly smuggling 25 kilograms of drugs.

The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta has received information regarding the detention of a Malaysian citizen from the Narcotics Crime Directorate (Dittipidnarkoba) of the National Police Criminal Investigation Unit.

"The embassy respects the Indonesian legal process and is dealing with the authorities in Indonesia," according to the statement, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 31.

The Malaysian Embassy is also trying to provide consular access to the arrested Malaysians.

Dirtipidnarkoba Bareskrim Polri Brigjen Eko Hadi Santoso previously said that a pilot with the initials MSBO (39) was arrested on Tuesday (28/7).

The arrest was made after customs officers at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Banten, suspected MSBO's luggage.

After searching the suitcase, officers found 14 large packages of ecstasy and one package of methamphetamine.

"The total amount of evidence of ecstasy is 70,114 pieces with a net weight of 25,194.83 grams," said Eko.

From the results of the joint interrogation, it was found that MSBO received a salary of 50,000 ringgit (about Rp220 million) by someone suspected to be in Malaysia to carry the drugs.

Meanwhile, Head of the Soekarno-Hatta Customs and Excise Main Office, Hengky Tomuan Parlindungan Aritonang, revealed that the suspect pilot was in a positive state of drugs when he was arrested.

Before being arrested, MSBO was still flying a Malaysia Airlines plane with Flight Number MH 727 from Kuala Lumpur to Indonesia carrying at least 170 passengers.

Currently, the case has risen to the investigation stage and the suspect MSBO is detained at the Bareskrim Polri Detention Center.

For his actions, the suspect was charged with Article 113 paragraph (2) jo. Article 114 paragraph (2) jo. Article 132 paragraph (1) of Law Number 35 of 2009 concerning Narcotics.