Pilot Arrested for Flying While High and Smuggling 70,000 Pills

A pilot of a Malaysian airline has been arrested at an airport after operating an aircraft while hallucinating and attempting to smuggle drugs.

Local time on the 1st, the Indonesian National Police Criminal Investigation Department announced that they arrested a 30-something pilot, identified as A, belonging to Malaysia Airlines on charges including violation of the narcotics law.

On July 28, pilot A flew an aircraft from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta.

Customs officials at Soekarno-Hatta Airport discovered suspicious items in pilot A's bag and reported it to the police.

Police captured circumstances indicating that pilot A attempted to smuggle drugs into Jakarta, including 70,000 ecstasy pills and 4 grams of methamphetamine.

That is not all.

Pilot A tested positive for methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine in a urine test.

Indonesian customs authorities explained that pilot A appeared to be a drug courier and was in a hallucinating state even during the flight.

[Interview | Hengky Tomuan, Indonesian Customs Official] "We believe the cocaine was for personal use, while the ecstasy was manufactured for widespread distribution across Indonesia." During police questioning, pilot A stated that he received instructions to transport the drugs to Jakarta in exchange for 50,000 Malaysian ringgit, which is approximately 17 million Korean won.

He added that after arriving in Jakarta, he was scheduled to receive further instructions from an individual in Malaysia, and another person was planning to come to the hotel to pick up the drugs.

Pilot A confessed to the Indonesian police that this was his third crime and that he had smuggled drugs on two previous occasions.

He also admitted to previously transporting methamphetamine to Sabah on Borneo Island, Malaysia, and subsequently smuggling 7 kilograms of methamphetamine into Jakarta.

Eko Hadi Santoso, Director of Drug Crimes at the Indonesian Police, stated, "Pilot A has been designated as a suspect and detained," adding, "We are conducting further investigations to identify the network above pilot A."

Malaysia Airlines stated regarding the case of its pilot A that it is cooperating with authorities and has also launched an internal investigation.

Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.